


What a wonderful world

by monwonpanda



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Affairs, Angst, Betrayal, Cheating, Dramatic, Hoseok is a home wrecker, M/M, Past Love, almost kind of rape but not really, and unapologetic, i was cruel to minhyuk, i'm sorry Minhyuk, married showhyuk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-27 08:04:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10805115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monwonpanda/pseuds/monwonpanda
Summary: Minhyuk was the sun but Hyunwoo was inlove with the moon.The story is really just showho and showhyuk. Other members are minor.(Unedited)





	1. i

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyunwoo's POV

_The sensation was blinding. Hyunwoo was everything Minhyuk had never considered. Minhyuk was an air head that floated with clouds of romance. Busied himself with idyllic fantasies wrapped in tales of fate._

_Hyunwoo was his fate, no doubt. He was encompassing, so very much different to what Minhyuk fantasised over and yet, he was all Minhyuk could think about. Day after day, night after night._

_Hyunwoo was like the sails on a boat, strong, adaptable but held accountability to no one. He was simply as he was and Minhyuk loved him as simple as that. Two years they dated, two years Minhyuk was held at a distance but hopeful. His suffering has proved fruitful because when Hyunwoo spoke those words, Minhyuk feels suspended above realities. In the wake of his dream, the words sounds dipped in gold._

_Let’s get married._

_Hyunwoo, instead of coming closer, had built a bridge for Minhyuk. Instead of crossing the bridge, Minhyuk jumped off it. He took his life and placed it in Hyunwoo’s much stronger much more capable hands._

_And it was those hands that broke him._

-

March 8 2019

It’s still dark when Hyunwoo’s car pulls up to the kerb. The day is still young and the sun lingers behind but Hyunwoo is wide awake. His running gear weak against the morning chill but he’s burning up. Fingers tapping against the steering wheel as he waits.

The street is dead but his eyes pick up on the slightest of movements. Mildly surprised when a pale hand comes to tap on the window. Hurriedly, Hyunwoo unlocks the door and watches in stunned silence as Hoseok slips in. His hair is now lavender and longer than before. It makes his pale skin even pronounced and even in the dull of the early morning, his lips glisten pink. Hyunwoo watches with intent, drinking in every last detail. The burning in his chest travelling to every corner of his body.

It's been too long.

Hoseok is on his lips in a heartbeat, manicured fingers clutching at Hyunwoo vest. Hyunwoo only allows him so much leeway before taking control. A firm hand finds a grip in the pale lavender hair and Hyunwoo tugs his head back. In the light situated at above the rearview mirror, Hyunwoo swallows his impulsiveness as stares into the dark liquid orbs. His heart beating too fast, his mouth too dry and all he wants to do is drown in the depths of Hoseok’s eyes.There’s a whimper, Hoseok desperation matching Hyunwoo’s. The pink lips glisten with saliva and shiver in wait until Hyunwoo can't hold himself back any more. Dominating, he pours himself into Hoseok, every bit of yearning, every bit of lust. It’s frantic and messy and he can’t pry Hoseok’s nails out of his skin. He loves the sting, the reminder that this is very much a reality.

The same reality he has to hide hours later when he arrive home to his husband.

“Hey,” he greets the figure behind the counters, closing the door behind him.

“Hey, you were up early,” Minhyuk smiles, two mugs off coffee in his hand.

“Yeah, had some stuff on my mind,” Hyunwoo accepts the mug, mindful to drape the towel over his shoulder in an attempt to hide the marks.

Still in his pale blue pyjamas, Minhyuk gets comfy on their dark sofa, his chestnut hair still unruly from his rather unusual choices of sleeping position. On a usual day, Hyunwoo would join him, he would let Minhyuk cuddle into his side as they try to stall for time. Neither of them was fond of mornings.

In this moment, Minhyuk is the epitome of homely comfort, the source of the warmth and ease of their house.

He can’t feel any of that, he can reflect on it but they don’t reach him. His body, his mind, his sense are filled with Hoseok.

He’s burning up.

He takes the coffee and heads to the bedroom instead, “I’m going to shower.”

The dark substance swirls down the drain and Hyunwoo’s guilt goes with it.

Only underneath the cover of steam and warm water does Hyunwoo dare acknowledge the indents on his arms. They’re still raw, it’s as if Hoseok is still there with him, hanging off him.

  
Instead, it’s warm palms that come to rest on his back. Hyunwoo’s about to panic but is overcome by a wave of indifference. He lets his husband snakes his arm around his waist, his chest pressing against the broadness of Hyunwoo back. There’s a sigh of contentment but it feels foreign on his skin, like it doesn’t belong there.

-

June 10 2019

Hyunwoo furiously blinks into awareness, all types of sounds resounding within the apartment. Tired eyes look to the clock and he’s only mildly surprised when he discovers it’s still 6 in the morning.

He should have known to expect this. Today was his niece’s 6th birthday and unlike most little girls, she insisted on a pokemon cake. Of course, she decided this while planning her birthday with an over excited Minhyuk. Hence, Minhyuk was up all night trying to ready the preparations for the cake. Hyunwoo didn’t know the finer details but he knew it was going to be a noisy job.

He reaches for his phone and sifts through his contact. Like always he searches for Hoseok’s contact only to remember saving it under ‘Jaebum’. It was safe, Minhyuk knew Jaebum from college and even though they weren’t close, Hyunwoo did spend a fair amount of time in Jaebum’s company.

Hoseok was most likely awake by now, he probably didn’t even sleep.  
  
The other replies promptly to his greeting and Hyunwoo was right, he hasn’t slept yet. Hyunwoo could still remember him in their college days, blonde hair all fuzzy as he spent his nights away at the campus studio. He wasn't any different now and that only made Hyunwoo feel more foolish.

They chat about Hoseok’s project and about the day ahead. Hyunwoo explains that it’s niece’s birthday. There’s a bit of a stutter when Hoseok ask what gift he had gotten her but in all honesty, Hyunwoo had no idea what Minhyuk had bought her. That was his husband’s department that went with remembering dates and organising get-togethers. It’s something you get used to after eight years of marriage.

He doesn’t tell Hosek that, instead he simply skips over it, onto the next topic. His finger moves lazily as he types. Minhyuk pops in, giving him the rundown on how the cake’s going. He doesn’t ask what’s Hyunwoo doing on his phone and if he did, Hyunwoo would say he was reading the news. That doesn’t explain his typing but he was never one to give into his fear.  
Honestly, he’s not completely convinced that he’s scared of Minhyuk finding out. It was such an outlandish scenario, one he had never considered before.He was obviously still in denial because he didn’t intend on entertaining the only two options he had; leave Hoseok or destroy his marriage.

The conversation never dies, Hyunwoo and Hoseok replying whenever they can. It’s continuous and amidst the birthday party, Hyunwoo can feel the buzz of his phone. His niece has a pair of Pikachu ears on and there are two red circles painted on her cheeks. He busies himself with family, distracting himself from the nagging sensation of replying. His father and he have a drink while casually watching the youngster play on the jumping castle.

There’s a shriek of laughter and they both turn their attention to the cause. Emerging from the house is Minhyuk with a rather large cake shaped like a pokeball. Hyunwoo hadn’t seen the cake, Minhyuk had already had it in the packed in the fridge when he decided to leave their room. The kids crowd around him, their hands coming a bit too close to the cake but Minhyuk smiles right along with them.

He can see it so clearly, Minhyuk would have been a good father.

They had tried, well they had considered. Males getting pregnant was a norm but that didn’t mean it came naturally. There was prepping and insemination process was done through a doctor. Minhyuk was keen but the doctor advised against it, stating that Minhyuk’s body was too weak to handle the pressure. A surrogate was suggested but Hyunwoo didn’t like the idea and that was the end of that.

Now he wonders if he things would have gone differently if they had kids. Probably not.

Amidst the hubbub, he slips into the drive way. Hoseok’s message is a picture of his lunch, ramyun to be exact. Hyunwoo really feels like nothing’s changed.

He phones him, eager to break this texting game.

There’s no hello, Hoseok’s voice is light and sharp,”I miss you.”

He replies in a heart beat,”I miss you.”

Hyunwoo misses him, Hyunwoo has missed him.

-

June 18 2019

He lies.

He didn’t enjoy celebrating his birthday, the attention was unwarranted. He was too grown for that. So it wasn’t uncommon for him to work but going away on business was a first.

Minhyuk only whines a little, his skinny fingers wrapping around his arms as he nuzzles into Hyunwoo’s neck. He won’t push through, he knows Hyunwoo has a distinct dislike to glorifying the day. Minhyuk had gone to great lengths to keep the day light and easy but a cake was inevitably presented after supper.

That wouldn’t be the case this year.

Hyunwoo had booked a hotel room at Sevenluck casino in busan. It was a common destination for him to meet clients. That did pose some risks of being seen but Hyunwoo was floating amongst the clouds.

Ever since Hoseok came back, ever since he sent that text on that morning, Hyunwoo's been swimming in strange waters.

This was no exception.

It was on his eighteenth birthday that they first confessed. The night Hyunwoo got to hold him, caress him but nothing more happened. Back then they were young lovers, their attraction for one another had been sweet and innocent. Now it felt like they were going against the world, they were reckless as they played with their loved ones. Spoke lies only they could find the truth in. It was shameless but Hyunwoo felt so pleased about this space he once again shared with the other. Their hearts picking where Hoseok dropped off. Who was Hyunwoo to blame him when Hyunwoo still wanted him, he still needed him.

It’s like he’s been waiting his whole life for Hoseok to return.

He booked the hotel in the casino because he wanted to splash out. Hoseok enjoyed the finer things in life, he enjoyed Hyunwoo’s bravado, the way he can lean into him, knowing that Hyunwoo will take care of everything.

Hoseok's pants tightly wrapped around his thighs, his silk shirt cut low with a band meeting across the top, so to make the deep cut look like a cut out upside down triangle. A thick black leather choker secured around his neck and dark smoky eyes locked on him as he enters the lobby. None of their plans materialises, there’s no dining out.

The make love again and again. Hyunwoo showers him with every last shred of emotion that courses through his body, whispering his darkest secrets, revealing his most vulnerable form. They make love till the sheets clump together against Hyunwoo’s sweat glistened body, they push and pull till Hoseok’s nails have marked the entirety of his body. He can feel the burn of where the nails dug in, raw and red up his thigh, across his back and around his neck.

When his limbs give up, Hoseok’s arms come to wrap themselves around him. They lay there, Hyunwoo's member still buried inside the heat as Hoseok milks him for the fourth time that night. They breathe heavily, chest to chest, Hoseok’s legs locked around his hips.

Just when h=sleep is about to take them, a sudden burst of energy has them going through memory lane. Hoseok giggles into his wet skin as they drink wine and remember the past.The past where Hoseok was Hyunwoo’s everything. Times when they would skip days of college because neither of them wanted to face the world. Naked in the sheets, Hyunwoo orders platter of snacks and bottles of soju. It seemed appropriate.  
  
The only moment he thinks of Minhyuk is when the hotel staff knocks on the door and Hyunwoo tells him to come in. The staff hesitates but slowly wheels the tray into the room, eyes avoiding the figures on the bed. Their naked forms are partially hidden by the creased sheets and the waitron’s eyes are quick to avoid them.

Hoseok falls against him as he squeals and giggles at the waitron’s expression.  
  
Minhyuk would have never allowed him to do that. If anything, Minhyuk would insist that he opens the door himself.

They make a mess, drinking, eating and talking. Hyunwoo feels younger when he’s with Hoseok. They talk about high school and college, careful to step around the landmine that awaits them.

Hyunwoo doesn’t need to ask because he already knows. Back in their younger day, he saw Hoseok struggling with. So when Hoseok upped and left, it didn’t completely shell shock him but it hurt like hell. Hurt so much, Hyunwoo’s only realised the extent when the pain finally stopped only when he had Hoseok in his arms once again. He had grown so accustomed to having this blank space in his heart, he forgets it was there. Minhyuk had taken up space around it, surrounded it but he could never replace it. Hyunwoo could never let go of Hoseok, for all the pain and anger, he would always take him back.

He never expected Hoseok to come back. Then only had he let Minhyuk in, the only had he considered Minhyuk to be the perfect person for him. In every the very essence, Minhyuk was the complete opposite of Hoseok and that attracted him, that comforted him.

Now the comfort was a reminder of just what he had and still has but not what he came home to.

They were a paradox.

Minhyuk was the sun but Hyunwoo was in love with the moon.


	2. ii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minhyuk's POV

  
May 25 2019

Day after day, night after night, Minhyuk observes. He watches quietly, his fingers scrambling to grab on to everything that is his, everything that is theirs.

His eyes are closed but sleep evades. Deep, buried under blankets of warmth, Minhyuk feels the cold of the absence. His fingers stray but there’s nothing but comforter that engulfs him. He isn't used to this quiet, even on his most restless, Hyunwoo’s heavy breathing would hum him back to sleep. Now there’s nothing, not when he’s on the day shift and gets to sleep with his husband, not when on the night shift and he doesn’t. There’s a gap, a void threatening to swallow him till he can't feel any more.

The creak of the door disturbs the eerily silence, Hyunwoo’s heavy footsteps following. He hears the article of clothes hit the floor, it will be there in the morning for Minhyuk to pick up. The rift is unspoken, and he turns to look at the naked form of his husband. Hyunwoo can’t see him or chooses not to but in the glow of the cellphone, Minhyuk can see him clearly. He sees the concentration in his usually dull eyes, he sees the marks spanning down the thick tan forearm, red and angry.  
He’s seen the messages exchange, a continuous broken conversation and he knows exactly what Hyunwoo is typing; ‘Got back safe, goodnight’.

A smile tugs at his lips, maybe Hyunwoo should mention it’s to him that Hyunwoo returns to. Night after night, their bed he shares in their home.

Hyunwoo doesn’t hide the messages and Minhyuk doesn’t give him any reason to. He pretends like he really believes the contact is Jaebum, he lets Hyunwoo think he’s happily dense.

Keep your family close but keep your enemies closer.

Minhyuk’s mother didn’t have that option. His father just came home one day with another woman and it shocked her just as much as it shocked Minhyuk. No warning but Minhyuk soon learns his mother was just too content, too dissolve in her comfort. Minhyuk wouldn’t make that mistake, the same mistake his parents made. No, his marriage was worth saving. Hyunwoo wasn’t like his father and their relationship was nothing like his parent’s.

He had hoped that the novelty would wear off, that Hyunwoo would grow tired of his play thing. If anything, the opposite happen. He slips up more often now, stays out late with no explanation, doesn’t bother to hide the marks etched into his skin. Minhyuk preferred it the way it was before, when he would come home and bath immediately. Now, his lover lingers on his skin as he slips between their sheets. Tears used to be shed when Hyunwoo would be in the shower but that too, Minhyuk doesn’t have that luxury of anymore. Now, he just lies still and prays as he breathes in the scent of hs husband and his husband’s lover.

-

June 21 2019

The day was unsuspectingly calm, the hospital’s hallways oddly peaceful. Minhyuk loved his job as a nurse, taking care of people being a passion he never grew tired of. Still, it's his marriage he needs to save and he’s more than a little distracted.

He finishes his rounds early, an hour so. It was expected, considering he clocked in early because he didn’t want to linger around in his empty house. Hyunwoo no more wasted times in the morning, leaving Minhyuk in an early morning slump.

  
Getting a head start on work seemed like a much better option than falling into depression.

  
He’ been meaning to do something, anything but he’s scared. He’s scared if he pushes, Hyunwoo would push back. He’s scared that things wouldn’t be okay but if he continued this way, he was no different from his mother. Then again, maybe he would just act to bring the inevitable down upon himself.

He had to risk it.

If there was a chance to save them, he would have to take it.  
Around eleven, with his optimism at it’s peak, he ships off some of his duties to a colleague. They trust him, so when e sees he has an emergency, they don’t pry. Probably because they know he’s a chatterbox that will tell them he got back.

Minhyuk’s grand scheme seemed fitting, it was a sure way to remind Hyunwoo of just how far they had come. He goes home and prepares the ingredients.

When he had first met Hyunwoo, the business student had politely sidestepped his attempts. It didn't deter Minhyuk, Hyunwoo was polite and sweet. It only madeMinhyuk fall deeper and deeper. There was a depth of warmth in Hyunwoo’s eyes that Minhyuk had never encountered before. He stood out with no intention to and Minhyuk had fallen in love or so he believed. The truth be told, Minhyuk didn’t know what it was. Hyunwoo didn’t invoke the strange magical aura of romanticism that had others had. No, quite the opposite, Hyunwoo made him feel very much awake and unaware.

Hyunwoo had taught him that falling in love was not a moment or an event but rather a process that never took a break.-so then why did Hyunwoo?

Minhyuk had resorted to some cheesy romantic movie in order to win over Hyunwoo’s affection.

Somewhere they had said, ’the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.’

So he had spent the night before diligently preparing. He was too exhausted to look presentable the next morning but things that come easy are rarely ever of worth. Hyunwoo had shown something akin to fondness and they ate in comfortable silence. It would the first of many meals they shared together.

Minhyuk worked to recreate the very same lunch. It wasn’t extravagant, not by a long shot compared to the meals Minhyuk currently prepared. Still, it was a part of their history. Minhyuk can’t help but reminisce, the worry in his shoulders slowly ease.  
-  
He knows he’s late for lunch but Hyunwoo very rarely ate on time. He smiles politely at the staff, they were vaguely familiar wit him, most of them had met him at the office Christmas party. Hyunwoo office building was the epitome of opulence, clean whites and smooth greys.

Kihyun, Hyunwoo’s secretary comes into view and Minhyuk doesn’t miss the fleeting panic that flashes in his eyes. Kihyun was small in stature but a force to be reckoned with.

“Minhyuk,” he greets, a tight smile on his lips.

“I brought lunch,” Minhyuk beams,” You’ll join us?”

There’s a brief moment, Kihyun seemingly not knowing how to reply,”Mr.Son isn’t in right now.”

The information dawns on Minhyuk, he finds himself slightly nodding and Kihyun is quick to supply an explanation,”He went to see a client for lunch.”

“Do you know where?” Minhyuk knows if there’s any truth in this, Kihyun will surely know.

“I don’t,” it comes out small, like Kihyun himself and Minhyuk knows he’s lying.

He struggles to maintain his smile, his gaze wavering,”That’s okay, I’ll phone him. Bye,”

He's quick to turn on his heel, legs wobbly but never pausing. He wants to unsee the look in Kihyun’s eyes, the pity and the guilt. Every pair of eyes that lay on him feels downcasted, pitiful, shameful and Minhyuk can’t see where he’s going.

Everything is just a blur, a flash of colours and sounds. Nothing reaches him, not the hooting of the cars, not they yelling of the angry drivers.He walks and walks, the food bag swinging haphazardly. Only stopping when his feet hurt and he’s out of breath.

A few strangers look at him weirdly but he’s too numb to care. The smile, however, stays plastered on his face. Inhaling and exhaling, he looks around wide-eyed, awakens from his trance.  
He knows this place or at least he thinks he does. He’s surrounded by stone statues and various flowers, there's various café set up upon the crisp lawn. It’s very upscale, something Minhyuk never got used to, not even after eight years of marriage. Hyunwoo’s taste was often select and he insisted on routine.

Minhyuk knew he wouldn’t have lunch with a client, it would be too tedious. Hyunwoo likes silence when he eats. That being said, it is lunch time and if his husband is not in the office…

There’s only one place he can be.

He walks briskly, his breath shallow but intentions clear. He spots Mythos quickly, the statue of the greek goddess Athena at the entrance.

Hyunwoo was a creature of habit. Mythos was the restaurant he frequented on the daily for lunch. Minhyuk had accompanied him once. Hyunwoo had his table reserved from twelve till one and he said no more than ‘the usual’.

So it takes Minhyuk only a second to spot the broad shoulders through the glass window.

“Sir, can I help you? ”A young waiter asks.

“No, ”Minhyuk swallows as he back steps, trying not to draw attention to himself,”No thank you.”

He steps behind the statue, reaching for his phone in an attempt to act casual. Slipping glances around the statue, he tries to get a visual on his husband but all he can see is the back of his head, his shoulders and the lavender hair of his lover.

What grown man dyes his hair lavender?

The again, who said he was grown. It makes sense, Minhyuk just hadn’t considered it. It wasn’t uncommon for established businessmen to have young lovers. Many college students had sugar daddies to fund their studies and their luxuries.

It leaves a bad taste in his mouth. He almost hates just how highly he thinks of Hyunwoo, till the point it worked to only hurt himself. He’s between a rock and a hard place. He was in denial, in so deep that he can’t find he’s way back. He would prefer Hyunwoo using someone for sexual pleasure and thrills but he knows his husband. He knows his husband too well and he knows it’s not that simple but he lies to himself. He can’t go on. If someone was to steal Hyunwoo’s heart, then the possibilities of the giving it back were minimal. What if Minhyuk lost him?

Only one way to find it.

He doesn’t think twice, his fingers selecting his husband and the call icon. It rings once, twice, thrice..

“Hello,” he answers and Minhyuk can see the cellphone press to his ear.

“Babe,”he tries to control his voice but fails,”What are you doing?”

“I’m out on business,” Hyunwoo says it soo easily, Minhyuk almost feels like throwing up.

“Oh,” he manages.

“I have to go,” he says hurriedly,”Speak to you later.”

The call is cut but Minhyuk keeps the phone to his ears.  
No ‘I love you’, no ‘I’ll see you at home’.

No, Hyunwoo speaks to him like he’s the outsider. Minhyuk feels like one.  
-  
He doesn’t cry, he doesn’t grieve. There’s too many emotions bubbling within him, he doesn’t know which one to hear out.  
But there’s this one, this one sensation that comes in intervals. it burns in the pit of his stomach, makes his head spin as he trembles. Boneless and emotionally exhausted, he collapses onto the sofa. It’s like something is eating from the inside, devouring him and it hurts like nothing he’s ever felt. Inch by inch, his sanity slither away, too weak to stand the darkness that’s brewing.

The clarity is blinding, the coolness that wraps around his body. It’s ice, stinging at the base of his neck, goosebumps spreading across his flesh and he feels something takes over. An unusual calm comes to put him at ease, his breath regulating, his mind racing.

Words on repeating, spinning circles, etched into his cranium.

We’ll be fine. We’ll be fine. We’ll be fine.

But what if they don’t? He doesn’t feel the rage but his fist tightens till his nails dig into his flesh, then too, the pain evades him, his mind too preoccupied. He was determined, he was hopeful, he was optimistic that Hyunwoo would pick him.

If this was a game, Minhyuk was going to win.

Hyunwoo will pick him. Minhyuk just had to remind him, show him just what he was risking. Hyunwoo would see all that Minhyuk was and is, all the times they had shared, all the plans they had dreamt and he would understand. He would understand and regret but it was okay. Hyunwoo was only human and Minhyuk would forgive with open arms.

If Hyunwoo didn’t understand already, then it was up to Minhyuk to make him understand.

What choice did he have?

That night, Minhyuk falls asleep minutes after slipping into bed. His mind is clear, dark like the night sky with no stars. There’s no after thoughts or overthinking, everything slips into place like a jigsaw. So perfectly and he knows, they will be fine. He’ll make sure of it.  
-  
The days glide by, Hyunwoo’s behaviour becoming more erratic. None the less, Minhyuk maintains his calm. This world was fill of sin, he wouldn't let his husband succumb. No, he would protect Hyunwoo and their marriage. For that, he needed to remain level headed.

-

June 26 2019

He’s ready.

He stays up, after five nights of peaceful sleep, for his husband. Dressed in soft sweat pants and black knit jersey, he lays await, eyes trained on the door. He’s taken the day off but he hadn’t shared that with Hyunwoo. He spent it preparing, cleaning the house and rehearsing. Each little detail carved into him till he was confident.

He even takes special consideration to his looks. His hair is washed and set, subtle make up choices, he’s even shaved his legs and genitalia area. Minhyuk doubts anything sexual or intimate will happen tonight, much like the months prior but Hyunwoo had always been particular about him shaving.

Either way, he was prepared. One way or the other, he was going to win.

He remains, frozen to the spot until Hyunwoo arrives.  
His husband looks mildly startled, his eyes revealing concern but he blinks it away.

“We need to talk,” Minhyuk says calmly, just like rehearsed.

“I know,” is all Hyunwoo says, his large hands tossing his bag and coat on the sofa.

Minhyuk’s eyes linger, scanning over his figure, pinpointing the areas his lover has marked.

“Listen-“ Hyunwoo starts but Minhyuk is quick to get up from his seat.

“I’ll make us come coffee. I have feeling this going to be long,” he insists as he walks into the kitchen.

Hyunwoo follows wordlessly and waits in silence but Minhyuk can feel his gaze on his back. It’s soft but filled with intent.  
The intent for good or bad, he didn’t know.

He fills the mugs as planned, Hyunwoo’s grey mug already on the counter. He hands it to his husband and heads back to their lounge. Hyunwoo was heavy, it was easier this way.

He doesn’t speak and by some luck, Hyunwoo doesn’t either. They just stare at each as they drink their coffee. It stirs butterflies in Minhyuk’s stomach, the sensations justifying his actions. He was still loved by Hyunwoo. As long as Hyunwoo hadn't given up, there was still faith.

Minhyuk would salvage it.

“Minhyuk,” Hyunwoo's voice calls out uncertain,”I think I should get to bed.”

Minhyuk doesn’t reply, a wide smile on his lips as he watches Hyunwoo blink in confusion as he tries to place the mug on their mohogany table.  
  
“Minhyuk,” he sounds panicked, ”Minhyuk.”

Yes, Hyunwoo thinks, I’m the one you call when you need anything.

It wasn’t anything but the truth. It was him that took care of Hyunwoo, he who comforted him, took care of him, cooked for him, loved him unconditionally. This was just a test and no matter how much it hurt, Minhyuk was going to endure and save them.

Like a baby deer, he tries to get on his feet but fails. His knees buckle under his weight and he comes down on the sofa. Eyes heavy, they’re barely open as he tries to speak but his words slur and Minhyuk can’t understand. His sturdy built crumble into a heap, his lips still moving but eyelids too heavy maintain.

Only then does Minhyuk approach him, laying a warm palm on his cheek,”Sshh, its okay.”

He’s on knees, at the edge of the sofa, levelling himself with Hyunwoo’s slumped body. There’s brief moment of guilt but Minhyuk reminds himself that sacrifices are needed. Tears slip, hot and salty, they flow down his cheek. It broke his heart to see his husband come undone, usually so strong and firm, now vulnerable. Even in his sleep Hyunwoo emanated such presence, his eyes slightly open, body firm and still throughout the night. Nothing like the figure lying on the sofa now.

But it was okay, he lays little kisses on Hyunwoo’s cheek, “For our sake,”

Blinking back the tears, he raises to his feet and heads to their bathroom. There on the counter is equipment, metallic contraptions, glycerin , sterile container and medical supplies.

He does one last check over before he brings the tray to the lounge.

Hyunwoo is still in the same position, his mouth parted as his chest rises and falls with each breath.

Minhyuk musters the brightest smile he can, Hyunwoo had always said he looked the best when he smiled.

He lays the tray on the table, back on his knees again at Hyunwoo’s side.

So much been’s going on, he’s forgotten just how handsome his husband was. Looking at him closely, it feels foreign like he used to look different. He wasn't the same man he was before his affair and Minhyuk was coming to face with a handsome stranger. In the end of the day, Hyunwoo was his husband and if the change was so great, Minhyuk was ready to start the process of love all over again.

With a gentle push, Hyunwoo is on his back, his arms falling off the sofa’s edge. Minhyuk starts with his feet, unlacing the shoes and slipping it off. This in itself, was a process he hadn’t expected to be so invested in.

He climbs on top, straddling his husband’s hips. It’s tight fit but he manages as he opens each button. One by one, the flesh presented to him is warm but distant. Hyunwoo’s lover had laid claim on this skin and Minhyuk would take his time making it his again. The pads of his fingers travelling over the tan skin, reintroducing himself toHyunwoo’s body. He doesn’t take off the shirt completely. Just opening it to reveal the chest and abdomen. There’s little marks scattered over the skin and Minhyuk is quick to press his lips against them, making them his.

He awkwardly glides down, his hands tugging at the belt before pulling Hyunwoo's pants to his thighs. There too, just above the band of his underwear is a blushing bruise, it angers him. All these marks over his husband and none were from him.

The fury grows and he abandons his spot, getting to his feet. He hurriedly tugs Hyunwoo's pants and underwear off. The smile is still there but it’s tight, eyes hovering over fine scratch marks travelling up the inner of his Husband’s thigh. Everywhere, the harlot had left reminders of himself every where.

This wasn’t some typical affair, nor was it some arrangement, it was much more than that. Hyunwoo’s lover wasn’t playing for fun, he was playing to win, he wanted it all. His lover wanted everything Hyunwoo had given Minhyuk. He could feel it, the harlot was after his marriage, his home, his family and he was shameless about it. It’s pity because he must have thought Minhyuk was one of those loyal diligent housewives but no, he was in for rude awakening. This was a war, the harlot had taken one to many battles but ultimately it will be Minhyuk that proved victorious.

Minhyuk’s trembling hands come to part Hyunwoo thick thighs, his limp member falling in the way. Minhyuk brushes it aside, his skinny fingers trying to shove a cushion covered in a sheet under the round cheeks of Hyunwoo's ass.

It allows adequate accessibility, Hyunwoo’s virgin hole presented.

His husband was an alpha, through and through. He resonated dominance. To see him in such a position feels outlandish but it had to be done.

Swallowing hard, Minhyuk wills the anger and hurt to take leave. He doesn’t need such emotions anymore, no emotions of despair will be tolerated. The trails of tears dry up and with it, his sanity.

The sedative was strong but he couldn’t be too careful, so he adds a light tranquillizer.

Mind now calm and sharp as a knife, he double gloves.  
His sanity makes one last call, his eyes flutter over to Hyunwoo’s unconscious face and his heart aches but then he lets his gaze travel downwards and the marks and reminders are all he sees, lighting up like stars against the night of Hyunwoo’s tan skin. No, he was doing the right thing and he promptly puts his sanity back into retirement.

“It’s okay babe, you won’t feel a thing. I promise, “ he smiles serenely, shuffling on his knees to lay a chaste kiss on Hyunwoo’s lips,”I’ll take care of you.”

The machine is charged and he’s gloved hands glisten with glycerine. He looks at his husband's face one last time before begins the procedure, Louis Armstrong’s it’s a wonderful world playing in the back.

And Minhyuk has to agree, it is indeed a wonderful world.  
His world at least.


	3. iii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyunwoo's POV

“Mr Son,” Kihyun repeats, his eyes weary as he waits for his boss to acknowledge him.

Things have been getting strange around here. Hyunwoo comes and goes as he pleases. He has the flexibility to do so but he's never taken advantage of it, saying he needed to set an example for the staff. Kihyun knows very well that his boss has a lover, only a fool wouldn’t. Minhyuk, however, was not a fool and Kihyun knows he knows.

But that’s none of his business.

“Yes,” Hyunwoo looks up from his laptop,”Are those files for customs?”

“Yes,” Kihyun answers, “For msc.”

No more is said, the files are placed on his desk and he leaves the absurdly large office quickly. Kihyun wanted to put as much distance between himself and Hyunwoo. He was not proud of lying for his boss. If anything he felt such immense guilt watching Minhyuk ‘s smile weakens but never falling.

-

June 3 2019

Hyunwoo wakes up muzzy, his head heavy and tongue thick. The ceiling of his apartment staring back at him. He must have passed out on the couch.

He chokes on his saliva, a sharp pain running from his ass up through his spine. His muscles feel sore and heavy, like he’s endured an extreme workout. Eyes shut tightly in pain, his hands struggle to support his weight but he manages to sit up. The pain at the base of his spine intensifies and he clenches his teeth.

When he opens his eyes, he feels slightly calmer. It was indeed his apartment, the cool blue warm walls, framed pictures of his wedding day hanging on the walls.

“Minhyuk,” He mumbles,”Minhyuk!”

There’s no answer, not a sound aside from the buzz of their sound system.

Hyunwoo is at a lost in general. He doesn’t know what the hell happened, nor what time it was. The only comfort he has is that at least he's in his home but where was his husband?  
  
It’s pain to walk but he bites back the burn and limps into his bedroom. The bed is made but still no traces of Minhyuk. He doesn’t think further into it, his body aching to shower. He’s quick to let hot water ease and caress his sore body.

His mind races but he’s too tired to panic but he’s worried. He doesn’t know what the hell happened to him and at who’s hands.

He hesitantly reaches to feel himself and as expected, his anus burns, a weird slippery sensation surrounding the area of his inner thigh. He brings his fingers up out of the stream of the shower and rubs them together, The substance is jelly like, almost like

“Vaseline?”

Had he been sodomised?

The scenarios made his head spin and he thinks he’s experiencing something akin to a panic attack. His fears rush at him and he can’t breathe. The air too dense, too hot and his knees buckle as he tries to escape the shower. His knees scrape against the tiled floor but the sensation is too overwhelming, Hyunwoo crawls onto the ice bathroom tiles. His naked body sprawling across the pristine white tiles, eyes wide as he pants harshly. The room is spinning and his lungs won’t cooperate.

His throat struggles but he manages to croak,”Minhyuk, Minhyuk!”

His screams resonate within the space, travelling vaguely throughout the house but there’s no one there, Minhyuk isn’t. Hyunwoo’s pleas floating into the air like dust particles, small and insignificant.  
  
 _Later that day_

“Woo,”   
Hyunwoo wakes up to the sound of his husband, warmth pressed against his cheeks.

“Baby, are you sick? You didn’t go to work?”

It’s a struggle but he manages to open his eyes, the light stinging as he Minhyuk comes into focus.

“Baby,” He mumbles worriedly, his eyes drooping as he bites is lip in concern.

“I’m fine,” Hyunwoo answers without hesitation, he doesn’t need Minhyuk to press further.

“You sure, you don’t sound fine. You were out this morning, I thought you were just hung over,”

What was Hyunwoo suppose to say, he woke on his couch with his ass slicked up with Vaseline. His masculinity had already been in tatters as he laid on the bathroom floor in terror. Minhyuk would insist he sees a doctor and that’s the last thing he wants to do.

“Just my throat,” he lies but he was sounding a bit gruff.

It seems to alleviate some of the concern, Minhyuk quick on his feet,”I’ll make you some stew, how does beef stew sound?”

Hyunwoo just nods, smiling in appreciation.

The minute Minhyuk is out the door, he slumps back into the bed. His chest is tight as he feels anger twisting into knots. Furious, he was furious but what options did he have. He can’t remember a thing about last night but he must have been with Hosek. Everything past that point evades him. How or when he got home escapes him. He couldn’t taste any alcohol when he woke up, plus he wouldn’t drink if he was driving.

It didn’t make sense and it wouldn’t for another four months.

-

October 2 2019

Hyunwoo doesn’t know just what position he was in. People would be quick to call his relationship with Hosek an affair and he can’t deny that it probably is. He just wonders what are the ground rules for this kind of things. As a male, he has a number of friends who indulged in extramarital affairs but none on par with what he's dealing with. Affairs revolved around sex when it came to men, the company, the ego stroking. It was a far cry from the dynamics he shared with Hoseok.

He had told another infamous lie and booked a room in the Gangnam Hilton branch. Unlike their last stay, they hardly spend anytime in the hotel. Instead, Hoseok wakes him up early and they head to the aquarium. The other had been so giddy about the visit, Hyunwoo can’t bring himself to care about the thoughts of anybody seeing them. No, Hoseok laughter rings loud in his ears, his wide eyes staring at the large tanks in a childlike adoration. It’s cute and Hyunwoo takes the opportunity to hug him from behind, pressing a kiss to the back of his ears. Hoseok leans back instinctively into his embrace and they stand for a while, wrapped up in each other as they bathe in the blue glow of the jelly fish display.

There’s an information placard, discussing how Jelly fish don’t possess a brain nor heart.

While jellyfish don’t have a brain or central nervous system, they do however have a very basic set of nerves at the base of their tentacles. These nerves detect touch, temperature, salinity etc and the jellyfish reflexively respond to these stimuli. Since they don’t have a brain, they live passively, depending entirely on their automatic reflexes.

How fitting, Hyunwoo smiles foolishly. How was their love any different from a creature with no brain? Appropriate because the no one in their right mind would do what they were doing, what he was doing but they weren’t paying attention to the mind. No, they were on autopilot, his heart in control and he was just the puppet.

This was more, more than heart and romance, it was something set in stone, something subliminal.

They shared something that he couldn’t avoid, he couldn’t deny. It was magnetic, entrancing and Hyunwoo could never forget the taste. It was dreams and fantasies all muddled in one and Hyunwoo was never one to romanticise but every fibre in his body agreed that Hoseok and only Hoseok was his soulmate. There was no other way to explain it. He knows, in this life or the next, he would do whatever it takes for them to be together.

For the first time, he comes face to face with the decision he’s already made.

He’s destroying his marriage.

The evening is spent in the hotel, they eat at the Asian fusion restaurant and try some experimental sushi.

It was last minute affair, booking and visiting the aquarium but tomorrow was chuseok and Hyunwoo would have to spend it with his husband and family.

They flop onto the bed, bellies filled to the brim. Hoseok curls into his side, a smile pressing into the crook of his neck. It’s idyllic, Hyunwoo sighing as he feels warm lips pressing little kisses up the side of his jaw. Their lips mashed together moments later, it's lazily and messy but Hoseok's eyes are fine as he smiles into the kiss.

They remain like that, limbs entangled, curled into each and joint by the lips. Time comes creeping and Hyunwoo battles with himself. There had to be a limit to his selfishness. He couldn’t go back on his word now. Chuseok was a three day celebrations he would spend at his parent's villa. There were no excuses to be made, he had t be there as a son and a husband.  
He decides to shower at home. His fingers dig into Hoseok’s side as he tries to get out of the hold but Hoseok persists, his legs wrapped around Hyunwoo like a sloth on a branch. Finally, he gives into the tickling, curling into a defensive ball as Hyunwoo continues the torture.

There’s shift in the atmosphere, Hyunwoo smiling slightly,”I have to go.”

“I know,” Hoseok rolls onto his back,”But I don’t want you.”

“I know, I don’t want to either but I have to,” He explains like he’s talking to a small child.

Hyunwoo’s hands reach out to stroke his cheek but instead, Hoseok brings it up to his lips, little kisses placed upon his knuckle.

They lock gazes and Hyunwoo speaks confidently,”You know I love you but there’s so much more I feel when I’m with you.”

Hoseok’s eyes soften as he nods,”I know and I love you.”

“And I adore you,”Hyunwoo adds as he gets up and begins to dress,”but sometimes you make feel confused.”

Hoseok’s eyes sparkle, he knows what Hyunwoo is talking about,”Sometimes you make feel foolish,”

“That should be my line, don’t you think?”There’s no bite behind Hyunwoo’s words but Hoseok feels the sting.

He pulls on his coat, the rustling of digging in his bag is accompanied with the moving of the sheets as Hoseok gets off the bed but even so, the little hindrance isn’t enough for Hoseok’s words to go unnoticed.

No matter how small his voice is, Hyunwoo hears it,”Sometimes there’s just regret.”

Regret?

They were unapologetic with their feeling but Hyunwoo always felt like Hoseok held back. Even now, he only gave so much of himself to Hyunwoo and Hyunwoo would never argue because it was enough.

“Say that again?” Hyunwoo requests calmly as Hoseok enters the bathroom.

“Nothing,” He mumbles but Hyunwoo isn’t having it.

“Hoseok,” he calls out, waiting for the other to return from the bathroom.

“It’s nothing,”Hoseok stresses as he shuffles out the room but he’s avoiding Hyunwoo’s gaze.

Hyunwoo knows there's much more to this.

“Don’t lie to me,” Hyunwoo’s cold tone alarms the other.

“It’s nothing,” he repeats, his eyes desperate to ease Hyunwoo but when their gaze meet, he feels himself crumbling.

He scurries backwards, crawling till he’s situated in the centre of the bed. All he can see is the white of the sheets but he can feel Hyunwoo’s gaze, tearing into him like a vulture.

“Hoseok, what did you say,” Hyunwoo asks firmly, ”Hoseok talk to me.”

They were always talking but never about the right things.

Hyunwoo needs to know, ”Hoseok please.”

When it becomes obviousHoseok has no intention on budging, Hyunwoo abandons his spots and slides onto the bed. Hoseok folds into himself, eyes watery and Hyunwoo can’t hold himself back.

“Regret, what do you regret?” He pushes,”Hurting me?”

Hoseok apologised for that multiple times before. After making love, he’s become a blubbering mess of apologies and tears.

The closer he gets, the further Hoseok slides back til Hyunwoo’s hands grab him by the waist and drags him near. Hyunwoo hovers above him, hands planted on either side of Hoseok’s head.

“You know what I regret, you know it every moment I'm with you,”He struggles, choking on his sobs.

Hyunwoo knows what he's talking about, he has known but they haven’t really acknowledged it. He didn’t want to guilt trip Hoseok, the last thing he wanted to do was push him away. None the less, Hyunwoo craved some verbal confirmation that he had been missed, that had he was the reason that Hoseok had been hurting.

“I regret leaving, I regret missing all these years with you. I regret being without you,” the words grow smaller and smaller till they’re inaudible and Hoseok’s shuddering breath is all that fill the air.

He isn’t looking at Hyunwoo but rather at the curve of his lower lip.

“Baby,” Hyunwoo coaxes him and Hoseok makes the mistake of looking into his eyes.

Tears come pouring down like summer showers, warm and refreshing. Hoseok hates himself for it.

“No, no,” he mutters through the hot liquid, his hands coming to cover his eyes but Hyunwoo pries them away.

He isn’t having any of that,”Look at me.”

Hoseok obeys, he’s cornered, nowhere to run but Hyunwoo is the last person he wants to run from.

He can barely breath when they lock gazes. Hyunwoo’s dark orbs looking right through him and he feels himself fall a part further, eyes sealing shut.

“Seokie baby,” Hyunwoo tries to coax him gently,”Don’t cry.”

Hoseok doesn’t trust his voice nor does he have anything to say but the tears keep slipping through his tightly sealed lids.

“Hoseok,” Hyunwoo’s voice no longer gentle or rough but demanding and firm,”Look at me.”

There's a moment of stillness, Hoseok mustering the courage to oblige.

It’s like a spell, the gentleness in Hyunwoo’s eyes ceasing the tears and Hoseok understands everything he’s ever needed rests in those eyes. He needs it now more than ever.

“Woo,” he manages as he tries to curl into the dominating warmth.

Hyunwoo, however, makes no move to accept him, he maintains his position, staring into the depth of Hoseok’s soul,”What do you want?”

It catches Hoseok by surprise, his flat palms curls into a fist against Hyunwoo’s chest.

“What do you want Hoseok? "Hyunwoo asks again, “What do you want from me?”

He doesn’t miss the mix of anguish and panic that flashes in Hoseok’s eyes, he had always been easy to read. Too transparent, Hyunwoo liked that about him.

But it wasn’t enough, he needed Hoseok to say it.

“Hoseok, what do you want,” He emphasises each word as the lavender head turns to hide his face but Hyunwoo is quick to catch him by the jaw.

Gently, he brings them eye to eye again,”You want me to leave him?”

Puffy eyes turn round like saucers and Hyunwoo knows he’s been right all along. He too had considered their little fiasco a game but he was just protecting himself, in case Hoseok up left again. It wasn’t a game, never was and never could be. Their bond is as strong as it was years ago, the distance only letting unwelcome doubts flourish between them.

“I never said that,”He replies shakily.

“But you wanted,”Hyunwoo knows.

“No,” he denies, his voice breaking, eyes frantically trying to look anywhere but at Hyunwoo,”I didn’t say that.”

“Be honest,” Hyunwoo pushes, his hand relinquishing Hyunwoo’s jaw and sliding down to his neck,”Do-“

“Why?” Hoseok bursts, his eyes full blown as his hoarse voice yells,”What does it matter?”

“Why?” Hyunwoo repeats, his head bumping against Hoseok's, their noses side by side.

When Hyunwoo speaks, Hoseok can feel each word pressing into the side of his mouth, the warm air that Hyunwoo breathes,”For you, I would do it. If you asked me Hoseok, I would leave him for you.”

There, he had said it, admitted to his darkest fears. He was incapable of loving Minhyuk, his being too tainted by the poison he shared with Hoseok.

“Don’t,” Hoseok chokes, his arms reaching to circle around Hyunwoo’s neck,”Don’t go, stay here with me.”

It’s all the motivation he needs, his body slipping onto Hoseok body. His face is buried in the lavender tresses, hoseok’s arms and legs tight wrapped around him as he cries into Hyunwoo’s shoulder. He feels the warm liquid seep into his coat and shirt and finally traces linger on his skin. How long had Hoseok kept this hurt inside, he would never know.

After some time, Hyunwoo works his way out of the grasp. Hoseok looks at him in silent confusion as Hyunwoo gets off the bed and digs in his bag. He offers no explanation. Hoseok watches as he sits on the edge of the bed, his phone pressed to his ear.

“Hey,” he sounds tired,”Listen there was a problem with the flight. I don’t think I can get back tonight. I know, I know I said I'd be back for chuseok, I just might be a day late. You go ahead with my parents, I'll meet you there. I’m tired and the airport is choked, I'm going to retire for the night,” Hoseok lips curl up into a feline smile as he listens to Hyunwoo lie.

It was thrilling in it’s own right. It was like them against the world. They were the villains, hiding and plotting in secret, hurting and lying to others at a whim. They were terrible, he was terrible but Hoseok can't bring himself to care. As long as he has Hyunwoo, he’s down for whatever.

The call is cut and before Hyunwoo puts the phone down, Hoseok hands curve around his abdomen to where his buttons meet. In hushed silence, Hoseok undresses him one item at a time. They find themselves skin to skin, hip to hip as they exchange chaste kisses, Hoseok tongue peeks out, licking Hyunwoo’s plump lips playful. Between the soft of their lips, they exchange information. Confidential information neither wants to acknowledge once they leave this hotel. It's sappy depressing stuff like how Hyunwoo stopped going to Starbucks because it had reminded him too much of Hoseok or how he only dated Minhyuk at first because the junior was the very opposite of Hoseok. He was hesitant to share that last bit but Hoseok seemed to understand.

They speak till they run out and start making plans for the first day of Chuseok, both of them knowing damn well that Hyunwoo wasn’t going home tomorrow.

Hyunwoo pulls him in closer and Hoseok clings onto him. The tan skin emanating so much warmth, Hoseok struggles to stay awake. In between sleep and a daze, he knows that besides Hyunwoo is where he belongs. It was always him and it was him that deserved Hyunwoo’s last name, him that deserved to go to bed with Hyunwoo, wake up to Hyunwoo, him that would build a family with Hyunwoo, a home, him and him alone.

-

3 October 2019

Hyunwoo returns exhausted, his phone filled with messages from his disapproving family but nothing from Minhyuk. It only occurred to him as he was approaching his apartment. Maybe his husband has had enough of him, Hyunwoo wouldn’t blame him.

He opens the door to find Louis Armstrong's what a wonderful world playing loudly. He’s so taken with the odd music, he’s delayed to notice the centricity of the house decor. He enters in awe, his eyes flickering to their extravagant decoration strung up. There's white ribbons draping from the middle of their ceiling, little dream catches strung up, the table set with Victorian candle holders, large ornamental plates, tonnes and tonnes of balloons and the one thing Hyunwoo can’t miss, the celebratory sign hanging in bold letters across the Lounge wall.

“What the hell...’ He breathes out as he walks in further.

“Babe,” Mihyuk shrieks from the stairs,”You’re right on time.”

Hyunwoo watches in stunned silence as his husband rushes over to, his newly coloured lavender hair bouncing with each step,”For what?"

“For your surprise, silly,” Minhyuk hugs him, pressing a kiss to the side of his cheek but Hyunwoo is slightly off centred about the way Minhyuk's abdomen felt against his.

not to mention he ver specific hair colour. Hyunwoo isn't surprised that he knows. He really hasn't done much to hide his affair but he didn't expect his husband to be this bold.

His husband flutters away, the brightest smile on his face,”Wait right there,”

Hyunwoo doesn't think he has the ability to move, he's so bewildered.

Moments later, Minhyuk comes back, quick on his feet, the pink cardigan tailing behind him. There’s a white medical envelope in his hand, Hyunwoo would know. His father medical conditions had required multiple examining and tests, each one carried out in the Hospital Minhyuk works at. Minhyuk doesn’t offer any explanation but simply slips it into Hyunwoo hesitant grasp.

“Minhyuk, what is this?” He tries to remain calm but the song is unnerving.

“A surprise,”He beams, eyes sparking as he waits.

Hyunwoo messily opens the envelope, paper filled with writing tucked inside. Hyunwoo is quick to notice Minhyuk’s name as the patient and he starts to worry but then something small slides out. Hyunwoo doesn’t see it but he hears it drop to the floor.

He quickly squats down and retrieves it, his head bowed as he looks that the glossy image of a mix of black and grey.

He looks up at Minhyuk, who’s literally bursting with excitement,”What is this?”

Minhyuk looks taken back, stepping closer when Hyunwoo straightens up,"What do you think?"

Hyunwoo takes a look closer to the picture, it's a small perfect square with no actual image on display, just shades of grey and white against black. Hyunwoo didn’t know better, he would think this is ..

“Our baby,”Minhyuk finally speaks, noticing the realisation in Hyunwoo’s eyes.

Hyunwoo thinks he must have heard wrong,”What?”

“Our baby,”Minhyuk smiles happily,”I’m 11 weeks pregnant.”

If only for a second, Hyunwoo thinks this must be a joke but he looks at Minhyuks’ belly and he knows there had to be some truth in this. Minhyuk was underweight most of the time, for him to have slightest of a belly pouch is suspicious.

Minhyuk notices where his looking. He reaches for Hyunwoo hand and brings it near the round of his stomach but Hyunwoo wakes from his shellshock daze and jerks his hand away. Round eyes glossy look up at him in alarm. Minhyuk quick to move closer and Hyunwoo steps back.

“Minhyuk is that-“

“It’s our child, your child Woo,” Minhyuk says it so calmly, so confidently like this was dream come true, their dream.

Hyunwoo knows he’s not lying but was probably being selective with the truth. It’s been a while since he really looked at his husband and Hyunwoo can barely recognise him, not the smile on his face nor the insanity that rages in his eyes.

“Minhyuk, what have you done?” Hyunwoo asks, voice stone cold.

The atmosphere darkens and not even the song can save Hyunwoo from choking on the tension.

“What did do?” Minhyuk starts off calm but it’s only the calm before the storm,”I saved our marriage! I was here in our home, trying to save us while you were out with that harlot! That’s what I was doing.”

Minhyuk’s face stays frozen in anger and disgust, his eyes never leaving Hyunwoo.

Hyunwoo feels a chill run down his spine, he didn’t know the man in front of him, this wasn’t his husband.

Minhyuk simmers down but the crazy never leaves his eyes and Hyunwoo is genuinely worried. Luckily the door bell rings and it has Minhyuk switching personas completely. He walks past Hyunwoo, like nothing happened.

Hyunwoo stays rooted to the spot, his mouth dry as he swallows hard. He can hear his mouther’s voice along with his niece but he doesn’t have time to react.

"Minhyuk, that's a peculiar hair colour," His mother points out.

"Actually Hyunwoo like this colour," Hyunwoo refuses to listen to him any further.

His family fill up the space, most expressing their disappointment of him missing Chuseok.

Minhyuk grips his arm painfully, skinny fingers digging into flesh through his clothes.

“We have an announcement,”Minhyuk beams, giggling as he smiles shyly at Hyunwoo,”We’re pregnant.”

He immediately sees everyone dissolving in cheer, even his mother who beyond upset with him.

She comes to pinch his cheek,”You’re lucky, this is so good news. I was going give you a good scolding for not coming for chuseok. No amount of wealth can compete with family but I guess you'll see soon enough.”

“You hear that baby doll, uncle is going to give you a cousin,”His sister gushes and Hyunwoo plays along.

He endures the night, a tight smile on his lips. He makes up a believable excuse everytime someone notices. Ever since Hoseok’s got back, this lying game has become a piece of cake. Still, he can't ignore the way the hair on his arms stand up whenever Minhyuk touches him. It keeps Hyunwoo on guard and he knows he won’t be able to sleep there.

Instead, he waits for his parents to leave and slips out afterwards. The city lights serving as his only company as he drives around. He's tired but too shaken to sleep. His phone buzzes, missed call after missed call from Minhyuk. Hyunwoo ignores it.  
  
He’s tank is almost empty when finally decides to pull up to Hoseok’s apartment. He has his own keys and has to admit that he’s actually relieved that his lover wasn’t at home.

Home, Hyunwoo had shared multiple nights in this space. It was two bedroom, simple open plan apartment with the most breathtaking view. He flops onto the bed, his back aching from the strain of the day.

Everything feels so unreal but Hyunwoo isn’t one to entertain denial. Minhyuk, whatever Minhyuk has done is very real. It’s too much to process and Hyunwoo is slipping into a still daze, his mind chasing its own tail until there’s just silence.

Exhausted, stunned, shellshocked, he blanks out.

When he wakes, he’s shirtless under the blankets. The room is aglow with the night lights bleeding as Hoseok never closes the window. He can see the pale lavender hair buried into the pillow next to him. His limbs feel dead but he needs to hold him, lazily he brings Hoseok’s body closer. The other moans as he squirms, he was always a light sleeper. Hyunwoo nuzzles the base of his neck, a little giggle slipping through Hoseok’s lips.  
  
Hoseok doesn’t ask, probably because he doesn’t want to know but he needs to.

There’s no words spoken, Hyunwoo hugs his waist, body pressed against each other and they sleep. Hyunwoo feels the calm washing over him, ease and guilt all mixed into one coating his body and he can finally sleep.

Not before making some last minute decisions. Firstly he needs Hoseok to recolour his hair and secondly, he needs to make sure the child Minhyuk is holding is indeed his.It wasn’t going to be easy, it wasn’t going to be pretty but it was going to be all him and rightfully his.


	4. iv

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drama

The herald  
December 19 2019

**Heir to the Son international media empire in legal tousle with husband.**

Son Hyunwoo, the only son of the global media giant owner Son Minwoo, is currently stepping into court for the fourth time this month. This follows what should have been a mundane divorce drama but has turned into some much more worrisome.

It was revealed on the 12th of November that Son Hyunwoo would be divorcing his husband of eight years, Son Minhyuk. The heir to the Son media empire has been known to value his privacy and rarely partakes in galas and charities. However, it’s under unfortunate circumstances that we finally get to meet the man that is now the acting CEO, after his father has taken leave due to medical issues.

The case has been a short but twisted path. Later it was revealed that Son Minhyuk was pregnant and both Minhyuk and Hyunwoo planned to keep the child. This revelation stirred an uproar, citing that Hyunwoo should do right and stand by his family. Mothers alike stated it was unfair and cruel for him to abandon his husband when he was in such a fragile state.

“It’s just not right. Minhyuk is carrying his child. As a husband and as a father, he should be there to offer support and comfort. Instead, he turns his back on his pregnant husband. What kind of person does that, after eight years of marriage. He’s just heartless,” Minhyuk’s lawyer Chae Hyungwon, offered commentary.

It doesn’t stop there, the Son divorce case took another turn for the worse when Hyunwoo fired back, saying that Minhyuk had undergone artificial insemination process without his knowledge. Thus the drama started. All the while Minhyuk claims that Hyunwoo is lying and was well aware of the child. He also claimed that Hyunwoo had a lover but failed to present adequate evidence and the accusation was pushed aside.  
After a magnitude of support pouring on Minhyuk’s behalf, the public has yet to see the other side of the nurse.

Doctor Lim changkyun, the doctor that performed Minhyuk's procedures and a resident specialist at the hospital Minhyuk works for was summoned. To every one's surprised, Dr.lim confessed that he did find it odd that Hyunwoo didn’t attend any of the prep procedures but he was familiar with the couple's struggles and didn’t hesitate. This stirs another uproar in the medical communities, several specialist offering their two cents.

“This is a travesty. There is a reason that protocol is implemented, there is a reason why rules are set. One can never be too careful, as a doctor and as a patient.” Health Minister Lee Yoonho released the statement after the debate was stirred whether Dr.Lim should have his medical license revoked.

Many have voiced their concern about these procedures concerning legal rights and human rights. However, the courting is deliberating on the matter and Dr.lim’s medical license is still valid.

Following this turn of event, Hyunwoo’s lawyer, Lee Jooheon has requested that Minhyuk goes under psychiatric evaluation. Despite the test confirming that Minhyuk is currently under extreme psychological stress and is displaying symptoms of more than one condition, the public still pours in support for him.

After a month long legal battle, the odds still seem to lie in Minhyuk’s court till things took a turn for the worst. Son Hyunwoo had provided recorded evidence, supporting the claim that Minhyuk was trying to blackmail him using the baby’s wellbeing. True to his word, the recording display a frantic voice yelling all kind of profanities along with ‘I’’l kill the child, if you don’t stop. I swear I’ll kill the child.’

The court was up in arms over the recording and requested a specialist to verify that it was Minhyuk. When the results came back positive, it seemed to be all over for the nurse. The recording couple with his psychiatric assessment has left the court doubting themselves.

In the end, the judge ruled in favour of Son Hyunwoo, granting them divorce along with Hyunwoo request to have Minhyuk checked into a nursing home. Lee Jooheon expressed’s his client fear for his child’s safety. Checking Minhyuk in will allow him to be under supervision, receive the best health care for the child and get treated for his phycological conditions. By common law, Minhyuk receives half of Hyunwoo’s asset but the court rules against that, stating that Minhyuk is unfit of managing such funds. In the end, Hyunwoo’s own family steps up to organise and manage the trust that will hold Minhyuk’s shares.

Upon leaving the courting, Minhyuk was frantically screaming and crying that this was an injustice and once again accusing Hyunwoo of having an affair. Many people still sympathise with the nurse that was described as passionate and loving.

In the end, there are no winners or losers.

  
-

  
www.Gossipcorner.com, world's number one source of the finest real life dramas

_July 13 2022_

**Breaking news**

 

You remember that Son empire case, the one where the husband got himself pregnant without consent from their spouse. Yeah that one, well so happens that the drama isn’t over quite yet.

Following the post on Son Soyou's, sister of Son Hyunwoo, instgram, many speculated that Hyunwoo has tied the knot again. After the speculation, Soyou replied and confirmed the theory. The ceremony was an intimate affair in the manali valley.  
(Blah Blah)

Then things get spicy, Son Minhyuk, Ex husband of Son Hyunwoo and certified crazy person, has reached out on social media stating that Hyunwoo’s new husband was actual the lover Minhyuk was referring to during the trial.

The person in question is Son Hoseok ( Lee Hoseok). Sources claim that Hoseok and Hyunwoo were actually high school sweethearts. Now an accomplish composer and founder of ShinXrecords, sources suggest that Hoseok had returned to rekindle his lost love. Lucky for him, Hyunwoo was his for the taken or was he. Or maybe Minhyuk isn't a crazy person after all.

Minhyuk insists the two of them carried on their affair for amost seven months before the divorce.

It’s just a mess but at least the wedding pictures look good. Take a look for yourself. Click here

  
-

 

**Shock!: an exclusive interview with Son Minhyuk, the real story behind the disturbing Son divorce case.**

_**3 March 2025** _

Finally, we get to hear both sides. Minhyuk says the court didn’t take him seriously because of his psychiatric evaluation and insinuated that he was delusional and unreliable. Also the truth behind Hyunwoo’s new husband

Son Minhyuk: Back then, I just knew he had lavender coloured hair.

This isn't the first article about this case to be featured inside our covers but it is by far the most personal one. Son Minhyuk sits down with us to give us the detailed truth behind the Son Divorce case.

Minhyuk invites us into his home located in Apujeong, an upmarket but small apartment. It's a warm cozy space with beiges and white with Louis's Armstrong's 'what a wonderrful world' on repeat.We go through the formalities and it's clear that he is willing to be forthcoming with the truth.

"You probably think I'm crazy," he jokes,"Some times I think I am. When I look back at the trial and everything that went down. I very well could be crazy."

He continues to talk and we listen patiently," I'm not saying I'm not at fault but at that moment, I was not in the right state of mind. I knew he was having an affair, he would come home with bruises, scratches. He wouldn't even hide the texts. For me, it was devasting. I just couldn't understand where we went wrong. I was in that moment of self-blame, trying to find any reason so I could make it right. He just never looked at him,"  
There's pause as he wipes away his tears with tissues and takes a sip of the water.

I ask why he didn't have any evidence of the affair and the answer is understandable.  
"Because I was never going to leave him. Evidence for what? A divorce? I never wanted a divorce. I just thought I would keep trying and trying and he would understand,"

but he never did, Minhyuk explains in details about how Hyunwoo had seemingly abandoned their marriage. It's dues to this, he blames his psychological issues on.  
"I was a happy person, my body was weak but my mind wasn't. I was happy with my life we had, he was everything I wanted in a husband. We were eager to start a family, I just kept thinking about our dreams. So when things came crashing down, I thought our dreams could save us,"

Thus the idea of a hidden pregnancy was born, Minhyuk admits that he went through with it because he thought a child could save their marriage. That sadly wasn't the case. It only pushed him further and further down the path of depression till he didn't care for himself and the child.He isn't proud of his actions but thanks the heavens for the blessing of his daughter.  
"I will never call her a mistake. She was a gift,"

Even so, Minhyuk is only allowed supervised visitation.  
"It's absurd, I barely see her for 12 hours a week. I gave life to her and slowly she's starting her life without me. I regret my choices, I regret a lot of things but she isn't one of them.I just wish I could give her better,"

A part from visitation rights, Minhyuk also gets to spend time with her during the holidays in Hyunwoo's parent's villas,  
"It's just two days, she can't last longer than that without seeing her father."

Despite the legal woes and bitter accusation, Minhyuk says he holds no grudges against his ex-husband.  
"I realised I needed to let go. If I want to live with my child and be happy, then I had to stop. It's hard but I'm trying, to earn forgiveness from myself, my daughter and her father. It's a difficult road to recovery but I feel confident. This article isn't about dragging Hyunwoo and his family through the mud. During the whole ordeal, Hyunwoo's family have been the only ones there for me. I just feel like people need to know I didn't go off my rockers just because my husband wanted to divorce me. It was deeper than that, it was emotionally scarring and I can't forget. I'm still trying to forgive, as I'm still waiting to be forgiven.''

Falling away from the emotional drama, Minhyuk speaks about the way the court handled him,  
"It was crazy, I was treated like a compulsive liar. They kept looking at me like something was wrong. Days before the evaluation, they seemed fine but once the results were revealed, it was like I grew a second head. I experience stress, depression, anxiety but that doesn't rob me of all my humanly conduct. It's like they don't see you as a person, they just try to sift through your words like they trying to see through the crazy. My conditions were out of my control and no one should get treated any less for being affected by it."

He huffs annoyed, obviously very passionate about the topic. He shares some of his coping exercises and we chat before leaving the apartment. During the chat, he shares little stories about his daughter and even praises his ex-husbands's parenting. It becomes clear that Minhyuk holds no fault with Hyunwoo but rather it is Hyunwoo's new husband, Son Hoseok, that faces the wrath. Each time his name is mention, Minhyuk is quick to shut the topic down, the mention of the name enough tighten the cherry smile.

We are once again reminded, time heals not all wounds.


	5. v

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hoseok's POV the ending my sister preferred.

He wakes up unusually early, eyes still tired but sleep evades. Next to him is a small ball of warmth curled into his side. Hoseok combs through his blonde tresses with his fingers, careful not wake up their daughter, Hyosung. She was a light sleeper much like Hoseok himself.

The day is too young when he settles down for his coffee. His legs folding under him on the couch in their sun room. The clear glass slightly frosted by the morning dew. He would never get used to it. The view of the forests makes him feel like he’s in a fairy tail where he’s going on a walk to deliver cookies to his grandmother. It’s thrilling too because before twilight, it looks like all kinds of stuff could be lurking within the shadowy depths.

“Ma,” a muffled voice calls out from the doorway.

Hoseok looks to see short pudgy fingers wrapped around the doorway frame as dark eyes sparkle with interest. Somewhere along the way, Hoseok became Ma but never mama or eomma while Hyunwoo was Appa.

Hoseok places his mug down and leans forward smiling, ”Morning princess.”

It’s all the motivation she needs, a giggle escaping as she rushes over. He picks her up and settles her into his lap, his fingers trying to tame the dark natural curls.

Hyosung would never come into this room on her own, it terrified her. Hoseok had to admit it took him some time too but the trees were beautiful. On the weekend, they wake up early and fill the bird feeder and wait inside the room to take pictures of all the different birds. It never failed to excite Hyosung and she ensures her father prints every picture and they paste them in her bird diary.

A wide yawn escapes and she slumps against her Ma’s chest, his arms coming to envelop her. She lets herself succumb to the warmth. It was still early or at least she thought so because the sun wasn’t out and Appa was fast asleep. She’s still tired but she doesn’t like leaving Ma alone.

“Let's go for ice cream after school,” Hoseok whispers into her hair.

Hyosung nod as she drifts off to sleep, Hoseok moving to cradle her against his chest. This wouldn’t be the first. She was prone to wake the minute he left the bed, he had thought he had escaped today but no such thing.

He doesn’t know if it is or just what he wants it to be but Hyunwoo is all he can see when he looks at the little girl’s face. She has plump cheeks that hang adorably on either side of her pouty lips, her eyes fine like her father’s but nose a bit sharper. He finds their quirky tendencies adorable, the way their eyes turn into dainty crescents when they’re genuinely smiling, how their bottom lips juts out when they’re in confusion. Hoseok loves it all and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to protect them.

That’s one of the reasons he insisted they move to Seongbuk-dong but he didn’t mention it to Hyunwoo. His husband was a softie, took their tranquillity for granted but Hoseok knows better. He doesn’t trust the act Minhyuk puts on and he wasn’t about to anytime soon. Their home was equipped with the best security system, it was influential area after all.

Hyunwoo may believe his past threat were empty and six years ago but Hoseok could never fully put it to rest. He watches Minhyuk like a hawk, ensuring that Hyosung safety is never compromised, not in general nor with Minhyuk.

-

November 21 2019 (during the divorce)

 

He takes the week off from work, his minded to clouded to be productive. His body has been straining under the weight of their decision and Hoseok just hopes they can weather the storm.

The news about the pregnancy had knocked the air out of his lungs. He didn’t know what to think. He didn’t know much about males getting pregnant, other than it was commonly accepted. He just thought that Hyunwoo was still sleeping with Minhyuk. That’s what had him frigid with anger. He knew Hyunwoo went home to his husband, he knew that he was the outsider but the thought Hyunwoo making love to another made his blood boil. He questioned that if it was anything, it wasn’t love. They were just fucking.

He only simmered down when he saw the devastated expression painted on his lover’s face. His tan skin is dull, lips chapped and eyes hollow. Hyunwoo was always the perfection of health, he ate cleanly, worked out. Not from now but from their much younger days. He doesn’t say anything but Hyunwoo picked up on the distaste and explains. The relief has him crumpled into the weak chest of his lover. Hyunwoo had asked him what he would have done if he had been active in the conception and Hoseok said would stick by him no matter what.

He keeps telling himself that now as he waits in his apartment, constantly paging through the events that led up to this moment. Hyunwoo was busy with the divorce and that meant that there had to be a certain distance between them. There had to be sacrifices and Hoseok understood that. It didn’t make it easy. What they had wasn’t perfect and was going to be fairly damaged before it even belonged to them but it was more than enough.

He knew he would accept the child, even go as far as considering it his own. It was a fragment of Hyunwoo and Hoseok would cherish him or her as he cherished their father.

Still, that left just one doubt.

What if Hyunwoo backed out?

It had plagued him for the last few days. What if Hyunwoo decided to work things out with Minhyuk for the sake of the child. It wasn’t an unlikely case. Many wives had fallen pregnant to save their marriage and Minhyuk was no exception but Hoseok was no common whore. He had his name etched on Hyunwoo's heart years before he met Minhyuk.

He hears the door unlock and he knows, expectant eyes latch onto the door. Hyunwoo looks worst, his eyes now red and it breaks Hoseok’s heart.

“Baby,” he murmurs, arms open as he catches Hyunwoo weaken state.

He’s only seen Hyunwoo cry once before and that was just one or two stray tears shed when they first confessed to each other.

They fall together onto the unmade bed, Hyunwoo silently moulding himself to Hoseok’s shape. The world was cruel but then again so were they. This must be karma.

His voice is muffled by the white skin, ”He said he’s going to hurt the child.”

“What?” Hoseok stops the caressing, his palm lying flat on Hyunwoo’s back.

“He threatened to abort the child if I don’t cancel the divorce,”  
Hoseok doesn’t know why but he thought like something like this would materialise.

He didn’t know Minhyuk but from the pregnancy issue, he could tell there was some crazy active. He was willing to do whatever it takes to protect their marriage, if only he knew his marriage was built egg shells.

“He won’t,” Hoseok says soothingly, ”He won’t.”

Hoseok knows he won’t.

Hyunwoo turns to look at him, his dull eyes painful.

“Ssh, listen, He’s willing to do whatever it takes to keep you. This child is the only reason you have to keep him in your life, he won’t kill it. Believe me,”

Hyunwoo falls asleep in that position, still dressed in his suit and dress shoes.

Hoseok understood crazy because he’s entertained it before. Being the product of an affair, his mother never fully got over his father. That didn’t stop her from marrying again and ruining another man’s life. Still, she would talk about his father all the time, going into fits of rage randomly just because Hoseok so happened to look like him. How shocking is it that he looked like his father. She blamed it all on him, it was his fault that she could never be truly free from him. He was the constant reminder and for the sake of her insanity, she would never let Hoseok go. In the end, it was the last thing his father had left her with and on her good days, she would cherish Hoseok like he was her life.  
-

He wakes up the next morning around five, the sound of the shower filling the air. He had quite the peculiar dream and was certain for some reason that Hyunwoo’s child would be a girl. Amongst all the chaos, it brings a smile to his face. A little chubby Hyunwoo with pig tails.

Hyunwoo emerges looking every bit of a mess he was yesterday but at least there are no tears. Hoseok notices the drop in his weight, his hip bones more prominent as the abdomen falls flat and soft.

He looks at Hoseok before reaching for the cupboard. The now blonde, shuffles over and pulls him to the bed, removing the towel. He makes Hyunwoo lay down and he does so wordlessly. Hoseok’s hands, now covered in lotion comes to soothe the tan skin. They don’t have time but it feels good, Hyunwoo can’t protest.

Hoseok smiles as Hyunwoo’s eyes flutter closed,”I was thinking,”

Hyunwoo only hums.

“That you can use Minhyuk’s threat against him in court,” Hoseok’s put a fair amount of thought into it,”You should record him next time.”

“What if that sends him off the edge?” Hyunwoo questions, it was a fair possibility.

“It won’t,” Hoseok applies more pressure to the sole of his foot,”I told you, he won’t lose the one thing that ties you to him. I don’t think he’s stable. Present the recording and request a psychological evaluation. I know there’s some hidden crazy there. Coupled with the recording, the court won’t take him seriously. If you’re still scared, you can suggest that Minhyuk gets admitted into a nursing home. There’s plenty specialising in the care of mother and child. It would be pricey but I doubt that’s an issue.”

Hyunwoo answers after a good while, Hoseok waiting for his reaction, ”You put a lot of thought into this.”

He has, ”Well yeah. You were worried about the child. This is the best option. Minhyuk can be supervised within the facility and receive medical treatment for the child and himself.”

The smallest of a smile graces Hyunwoo’s lips and Hoseok feels a burst of happiness just at the sight, he leans forward and kisses him.

Hyunwoo looking up at him, ”Sometimes you scare me.”

“I should,” Hoseok jokes as he returns to the applying of the lotion.

-

 

April 9 2020

 

Hoseok came face to face with Minhyuk only a few day after the birth of Hyosung. The now lavender hair doesn’t recognise him and Hoseok prefers it this way. They’re too busy fusing over the child and Hyunwoo is on cloud nine.

Minhyuk doesn’t know a thing till now.

Hyunwoo steps out and comes around to open the door for Hoseok. From that distance, he can see Minhyuk’s gaze locked on them. It starts to make sense and Hoseok readies himself. They were taking Minhyuk to Hyunwoo’s parent’s house.

The elderly couple had easily accepted the story Hoseok sold them. After all, Hyunwoo and he were childhood friends, it wasn’t unlikely that he would come to his friend’s aid during difficult times.

Things had been strangely calm since Minhyuk gave birth. The only thing Hyunwoo focuses on is the child, their days spent shopping and preparing the nursery. They bought a house in Seongbuk-dong area with large glass panes and a beautiful view of open woods. It was perfect to raise a child.

That’s exactly what Hoseok intended to do.

Hyunwoo’s mother carries the child in their car, leaving Minhyuk to travel with them. At this moment, Hyunwoo’s parents introduce Hoseok as Hyunwoo’s childhood friends. Hoseok goes along, smiling politely and congratulating him on the baby. Minhyuk replies with a tight smile and dark eyes, he knows and Hoseok wants him to. They hadn’t spoken till this point, Hoseok was generally in the background, offering Hyunwoo support.

Hoseok takes the front seat as Minhyuk sits in the back.  
The car ride is half an hour and filled tension. The radio thankfully counteracts the awkwardness until Louis Armstrong’s ‘what a wonderful world’ starts plays as a tribute to the oldies and Hyunwoo puts the radio off.

“Hey, I like that song,”Minhyuk complains but Hyunwoo’s mood is strangely dark.

“I don’t.”

The rest of the ride is silent, Hoseok casually turning to his lover. Hyunwoo had seemingly calmed down from that random burst of annoyance.

Finally, they reach the villa and Hyunwoo is quick to get out and unload the trunk.

Minhyuk, however, stays seated, his voice calm, ”You stole my husband,”

A small smile tugs at Hoseok’s lip as he unlocks the door, ”I know.”

Minhyuk watches as the blonde steps out of the car, stopping before he shuts the door and Hoseok ensures they make eye contact, ”If it’s any consolation, he was never yours to begin with.”

Hoseok is glad the ground rules have been set.

Hyunwoo is his as he was then and will always be. There’s nothing Minhyuk can do about that. No amount of fake smiles and empty words can change it.

It was all about the push and pull. If Minhyuk pushed too much, Hoseok was ever ready to pull him out of the game. He would keep him on a fine line, ready to burst when it was most convenient. At the end of the day, it was up to Minhyuk if he wanted to play nice. If not then Hoseok can’t be held responsible for his actions.

-

 

March 12 2015

 

The Son villa is ruffled with excitement, Hyosung running up and down in search of her belongings. She had spent the last two days at the villa with her grandparents and Minhyuk. It was a fun two days but she had the tendency to get crabby when she was away from home too long. Hence she was almost bursting with excitement when Hoseok’s car turns into the driveway.

“Ma!” she screeches at her grandparents and they tell her to wait for the car to at least park off.

Hoseok quickly envelops her little frame in a tight hug, pressing kisses to her round cheeks. She cuddles closer as her father picks her up.

“You’re spoiling her, Hoseok,” her grandmother says.

“It’s okay, I’m seeing my baby after such a long time,” Hoseok ruffles her curls.

They pack the car, Hoseok still carrying Hyosung. She’s reluctant to let go but she wants to go home and see papa, so she lets Ma buckle her in.

“You had fun?” Hoseok asks as he always does.

“Yep,”

“That's good,” Hoseok turns out of the driveway.

“Ma,” she calls out, continuing when he hums, ”What do other people call you?”

Hoseok furrows his brows,”My name, like how people call you Hyosung, people call me Hoseok. Like how gandma and grandpa does “

“So you're not other people's Ma,” she asks seriously.

“No, heaven no,” Hoseok laughs,”Just yours.”

That seems to please the little girl,”But Daddy doesn’t call you that.”

By daddy, she’s referring to Minhyuk.

“Oh,” Hoseok manages, ”What does he call me?”

“Some like Har-lit, I’m not sure how to says,” She says on confusion but Hoseok knows what word she’s referring too.

“You mean Harlot,” He corrects her.

“Yeah, that. What’s that?”

How was Hoseok supposed to answer and stay neutral, Hyunwoo would disapprove of him being blunt,”It’s a word you shouldn’t say.”

“Why is it a bad word? Why is daddy calling you a bad word?” she asks innocently

Because your daddy is a bastard.

“It’s not bad, princess,” Hoseok struggles to come up with something that sounds legitimate, ”It’s a word only adults can say.”

“Oh, so when I’m an adult I can say it,”

“Uhm” not exactly, ”You can but I prefer if you didn’t”

All in all, Hoseok finds it pretty amusing. Minhyuk wants unsupervised visitation but he’s sharing all this shit with Hyosung.

“Ma,” she calls out again.

“Yes,” Hoseok answers her promptly.

“Do you have any CDs, like flat round shiny things,” she explains.

“Yes , I know what CDs are Princess. I got a few, why?”

“I think Daddy needs new music. He keeps playing the same song over and over. He knows it word for word. I don’t like it very much,” she talks absent mindedly as she digs through the cubby.

“What song is it that?” he asks curiously.

“I don’t know something birds, I know there’s birds. Daddy can sing the whole thing, I only know the end part,”

“Sing for me,” Hoseok nudges her playfully, ”Let’s hear the princess sing.”

She giggles before giving in, her voice raising a pitch as she sings,” and I think to myself, what a wonderful world.”

Hoseok feels his blood run cold, his jaw getting tight.

“Ma what’s wrong, was it bad?” she asks worriedly.

“No, you were amazing. Just don’t sing that song for your father or listen to it. Okay?” he may sound a little harsh but there’s a small smile on his face.

“Okay,” she answers softly.

“How’s about we go for ice cream?” he offers and Hyosung jumps at the idea.

-

  
May 5 2025

 

“Back then I just knew he had lavender,” Hoseok reads out loud sarcastically, ”He should have mentioned how he coloured his hair the exact same colour.”

Hyunwoo walks out of the bathroom, now in casual clothes and snatches the magazine out of his husband’s hand,” I told you not to read this, didn’t I?”

“I know but still,” Hoseok pouts as he falls back on their monoprint bedding, the grey stone ceiling staring back at him.

Hyunwoo crawls on top of him, caging him in,”He’s just trying to defend himself.”

Hoseok knows exactly what he’s doing,”You mean look innocent so he can get out of the supervised visitation.”

Hyunwoo just pecks him, ”Maybe it’s okay now. It’s been six years and I know you say we can never be too careful but it was one threat. We can’t hold it against him for his whole life.”

Hoseok doesn’t think so but he doesn’t say. He pulls Hyunwoo in closer for a deep kiss.

They were being bad, supper was ready and Hyosung was waiting for them. Hyunwoo sneaks in another kiss and another till Hoseok is mush underneath him, moaning into his mouth.

“Appa,”

Hoseok hears their daughter’s voice and immediately shoves Hyunwoo off with inhuman strength.

The other is left on his side, slightly stunned at the suddenness.

“Supper,” Hoseok exclaims, a blush on his cheeks,”Lets go eat.”

Hyosung gives her Appa one last weird look before following his Ma, her pigtails swaying as she walks.

Hyunwoo sighs and gets up to join them, their chatter can be heard all the way from the large dining room. He looks down for his slippers to see the magazine laying on the ground, his ex-husband’s bright smile staring at him. He groans as he bends to pick it up, tossing it in the bin on his way out.

May 15 2025

Minhyuk senses him before he even makes his presence know, ”What do you want?”

Hoseok just shrugs as he takes a seat on the nearby sofa, ”Nothing.”

Minhyuk knows better.

They’re at Hyunwoo’s parent’s villa for his mother’s birthday. The enjoyed a picnic earlier, Minhyuk and Hoseok careful to avoid each other. Minhyuk keeps his distance from Hyunwoo. He’s been silently enduring Hoseok’s hushed snide remarks and the signs are starting to show. Today was a good day and he prefers to keep it drama free.

In the end, it wasn’t Hyunwoo that is at the heart of the drama but Hyosung. Minhyuk’s breath catching as she runs to her father and the person she insists on calling Ma. Hoseok’s well aware of what he was doing and it was common knowledge that Hyosung preferred him more, sometimes even over Hyunwoo. He wanted to make a point to not only to Minhyuk but to Hyunwoo’s family. Hyosung had the perfect family with them and Minhyuk was just a nuisance.

A nuisance Hoseok had been putting up with for the sake of their daughter but he’s starting to grow tired.

Now with Minhyuk requesting unsupervised visitation, Hoseok is ready to bring him back in line.

Minhyuk turns his attention back to the television, he’s sure everyone else is asleep.

“You watch the crime channel Minhyuk?” Hoseok asks, his eyes vaguely watching the late night sitcom.

“No,” Minhyuk calms himself, ”I don’t.”

“I do, I like it. I like crimes drama too, CSI, criminal minds, stuff like that,” Hoseok continues.

“Why are you telling me this,” Minhyuk asks as he switches off the television.

There’s nothing but darkness between them, neither of them can see each other.

“I’m getting there,” Hoseok says carefully, ”You see I watched this one episode of CSI. Some time ago, long time ago. It starts off with this black guy sprawled out on the bed, naked. I thought he was dead, a lot episodes start off with the body. Apparently, he wasn’t dead. He was just unconscious.”

“What are you talking about,” Minhyuk asks harshly, now sitting up straight.

“Wait, so they figure it out or the chick comes forward. Apparently, there’s this machine you can use on a corpse to get them to ejaculate.” Hoseok says smugly.

He can feel the hairs on his arm stand up, the atmosphere now alive.

“You know what I’m talking about? I mean you would, you're a nurse,” Hoseok knows.

“I don’t,” Minhyuk shoots back, his voice strained.

“I mean that’s how you got yourself pregnant right?”

“Hyunwoo had semen preserved,” Minhyuk is quick to explain.

“Bullshit, he just said that because he didn’t know how else to explain what happened. I mean you sodomised him,” Hoseok says exasperatedly.

Hyunwoo had mentioned the occasion to him once, not too long ago, after a night of drinking, begging Hoseok to never bring it up again. How peculiar, the one thing his husband could remember about the ordeal is the very song his daughter sang for him in the car.

There was rage, there was fury but Hoseok knows how to play his cards wisely. There were little traps that he had set up, ready to put Minhyuk back into his place or wipe him out.

“I mean, do you think about the act when you listen to that song. Was violating Hyunwoo wonderful?” Hoseok raises his voice just a bit,”I bet you got off on it, touched yourself to his unconscious body.”

“Shut up,” Minhyuk growls and Hoseok can feel the danger,”I did it to save us, to save us from you.”

“Well,” Hoseok gets up,” You failed. If you want your dirty secret to remain a secret, you better start getting comfortable with supervised visitation because that’s all you’ll have. Get used to the little that you have or I’ll leave you with nothing.”

With that, Hoseok returns to his bedroom. Slipping into his covers, he reaches for his husband but Hyosung is in the way. In the end, he manages to reach for Hyunwoo’s hand underneath the blanket.

He had no intention of revealing the truth.

The truth would devastate his husband. He wasn’t about to do that. Hyunwoo was better off living with the confusion than knowing to what lengths his crazy ex-husband had gone to keep him. Bringing it up would increase the chances of someone else finding out about it. He can’t risk that for his husband’s pride and dignity. The only person other than him to know was Minhyuk and both of them are going to be taking the secret to their graves.

Matters weren’t ideal but Hoseok knew from the beginning, this wasn’t going to be easy. He had to look at the bigger picture and whether he liked it or not, removing Minhyuk would only work to hurt Hyosung.

Constantly staying ahead of the game was exhausting. He had worked up quite an arsenal of evidence against Minhyuk. A number of recordings of all the shit he spoke to Hyosung, little bits of information the cleaner at his apartment had shared, testimonials that he had been a nuisance to the people that had moved into Hyunwoo’s last apartment. He just needed to be kept in line, that way everyone is happy.

Hyosung knows her three fathers love her and Minhyuk knows he’s just an addition to their already happy family.

Hoseok can live with that.


	6. Alternative ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hoseok's POV. This is the ending i preferred. Some violence and smut in there. Also, you shouldn't be here if you're a hardcore Minhyuk fan.

Hoseok’s been watching like a predator stalking their prey. Minhyuk flounders around Hyunwoo’s family, from one person to the next. They love him, it’s understandable. Despite the crazy, he was married into the family for eight years. Still, even on Hoseok’s most logical days, he doesn’t like it.

Minhyuk knows better than to cross his path. Hoseok’s been very verbal and Minhyuk knows Hoseok isn’t playing. It’s like they see the crazy in each other and no one else can.

It’s been weighing on Hoseok’s mind for a while, almost a year. He starts to think he might enjoy life without Minhyuk in it. He doesn’t enjoy having the little pest cut and pasted into the majority of his memories. Can’t be helped though, Hyunwoo’s parents insist that it’s for the best. Hyunwoo didn’t seem to disagree, so that only left Hoseok feeling cheated.

Even though he hated to, he had to agree that it would be best for Hyosung. Although, Hoseok still enjoyed being preferred over Minhyuk. He was petty like that.

But recently things have gone too far. Minhyuk is trying to sway everyone in favour of allowing him to obtain unsupervised visitation rights. Hoseok will be damned if he lets that happen. Hoseok controlled the visits, each in his or Hyunwoo’s parents care. He would never think of leaving Hyosung alone with him. He still had a bit of fear that he would do something drastic and it would cost him his daughter’s life.

Plus, he doesn’t need Minhyuk getting any ideas. He had insured Minhyuk knew he was only allowed this life because he was playing by the rules. The rules being very select indirect threats he had made.

Still, it all relied on his power to expose Minhyuk but that wouldn’t be possible if he the bastard was outside his reach

It was Godfather wasn’t it?- Keep your family close but your enemies closer.

And if that wasn’t possible, well, you just eliminate your enemies.

Minhyuk glances at him before turning his attention back to the television, he’s sure everyone else is asleep. Hoseok takes a seat on the nearby sofa.

“You watch the crime channel Minhyuk?” Hoseok asks, his eyes vaguely watching the late night sitcom.

“No,” Minhyuk calms himself, ”I don’t.”

“I do, I like it. I like crimes drama too, CSI, criminal minds, stuff like that,” Hoseok continues.

“Why are you telling me this,” Minhyuk asks as he switches off the television.

There’s nothing but darkness between them, neither of them can see each other.

“I’m getting there,” Hoseok says carefully, ”You see I watched this one episode of CSI. Some time ago, long time ago. It starts off with this black guy sprawled out on the bed, naked. I   
thought he was dead, a lot episodes start off with the body. Apparently he wasn’t dead. He was just unconscious.”

“What are you talking about,” Minhyuk asks harshly, now sitting up straight.

“Wait, so they figure it out or the chick comes forward. Apparently there’s this machine you can use on a corpse to get them to ejaculate.” Hoseok says smugly.

He can feel the hairs on his arm stand up, the atmosphere now alive.

“You know what I’m talking about?” Hoseok knows.

“I don’t,” Minhyuk shoots back, his voice strained.

“I mean that’s how you got yourself pregnant right?”

“Hyunwoo had semen preserved,” Minhyuk is quick to explain.

“Bullshit, he just said that because he didn’t know how else to explain what happened. I mean you sodomised him,” Hoseok   
says exasperatedly.

Hyunwoo had mentioned the occasion to him once, not too long ago, after a night of drinking, begging Hoseok to never bring it up again. How peculiar, the one thing his husband could remember about the ordeal is the very song his daughter sang   
for him in the car.

There was rage, there was fury but Hoseok knows how to play his cards wisely. There were little traps that he had set up, ready to put Minhyuk back into his place or wipe him out.

“I mean, do you think about the act when you listen to that song. Was violating Hyunwoo wonderful?” Hoseok raises his voice just a bit,”I bet you got off on it, touched yourself to his unconscious body.”

“Shut up,” Minhyuk growls and Hoseok can feel the danger,”I did it to save us, to save us from you.”

“Well,” Hoseok gets up,” You failed. Now imagine what Hyunwoo is going to think, imagine how he’s going to look at you. Don’t   
worry, it’s my mother-inlaw’s birthday. You got some time.”

“What do you want?” Minhyuk sounds every bit dangerous that he is.

_I want you out of the picture._

“Me? I just want my husband to know the truth. I mean, he basically got raped…by you,” Hoseok is good but not good enough to narrow it down to one outcome.

There were two, both in his favour. The preferred outcome is Minhyuk takes his money and does a little disappearing act. That would greatly please Hoseok. Removing the pest entirely would be perfect. The second outcome, he wasn’t the biggest fan off, was pushing Minhyuk till he unleashed the crazy. Hoseok would have to take some damage but it would be worth it if he could use it to show Hyunwoo and his family that Minhyuk was still very much a troubled person. None the less, he bruises easily and he doesn’t need any rema]inders of Minhyuk on him.

“You wouldn’t,” He almost sounds desperate.

Hoseok loves it.

“Why wouldn’t I?” it was a genuine question.

Minhyuk’s silhouette is still but Hoseok can feel his eyes, the intent pouring out. He’s minutes away from breaking down, if not seconds.

“It’s all going to be over for you. Poor you. I mean Hyunwoo knew you were crazy but when he realises just how far gone,”

Hoseok suppresses a giggle.

He had been looking forward to this. When he put the pieces together, he was almost about to erupt in anger. The thought of Minhyuk manhandling Hyunwoo’s unconscious body left a bitter taste in his mouth. He wanted to rip Minhyuk’s heart out and shove it down his throat but this was so much better.

One foot followed by the next, Hoseok watches as the brunette gets to his feet.

“But it’s the right thing to do, he needs to kno-“

“Hoseok,” Soyou calls out,”Is that you?”

Hoseok heads snaps in her direction, Minhyuk taking the distraction as an opening to leave. Hoseok watches his silhouette fly up the stairs, his bottom lip caught between his teeth.

He was so close.

The lights switch on and Soyou looks at him in confusion, her hair in a messy bun,”What are you doing up?”

Hoseok sighs,”I thought I heard something, so I came down.”

“Oh,” Soyou nods as she walks off,”It must have been Minhyuk, he watches TV till late.”

Hoseok suppresses a growl, his jaw tight,” Yeah, must be.”

-

Despite last night’s failure, Hoseok wakes up refreshed. His princess is probably annoying her grandparents at this hour of the morning and that leaves the two of them in bed alone. Hoseok quickly covers the distance, his arms and legs curling over the side of Hyunwoo’s body. He sighs contently, his husband’s warmth now lulling him back to sleep.

The day feels lazy. Usually, they would have breakfast together in the garden but everyone is moving at their own pace. Hyunwoo and his father go over some business while Hoseok prepares some tea for Soyou and his mother-inlaw.

He’s setting the little ornamental teapot on the tray when Hyunwoo’s niece slips in like a ghost. He hears her and smiles in her direction but she just stares at him. She has the trademark fine eyes and large built, quite tall for twelve years old.

“Where’s Hyosung?” he asks.

Hyunwoo niece had taken the role of protector, constantly fawning over Hyosung. It was uncommon to see them separate.

“She’s with uncle Minhyuk. He’s calling you,” she doesn’t sound too pleased.

“Do you know why?” He asks, facing her as he’s trying gauge her reaction.

“He said it’s urgent,”

“Baby, what's wrong?” Hoseok approaches her.

“He said you need to come alone,”

That sets sirens off,”What else did he say?”

“Hyung,” she says weakly. She calls Hoseok Hyung because they use to watch a drama about friends in college and the term Hyung was used a lot. She wasn’t too pleased with how ‘oppa’ sounded, so he agreed to let her call him Hyung.

“Did he do something to you,” Hoseok feels dread creep over him.

The girl shakes her head, her eyes fixed on the floor and words are tiny,”There’s gun.”

Hoseok loses his voice, his eyes wide like saucers.

“Wher is he?” Hoseok almost growl.

She panics and tears start to form. Hoseok pulls her her in, his hand stroking her back.

“It’s okay. I need you tell me where he is?’

“On the balcony with Mallow,” mallow being the maid.

Hoseok feels his whole inside knot, breath escaping him as he dashes into the balcony. He sees Mallow in the corner, her frozen eyes quickly tearing up as she sees him. He doesn’t have time, he just steps in.

His body going rigid at the sight. The balcony is very wide but long. At the furthest end from the entrance, is Minhyuk on the weaved chair, in between his legs is Hyosung busy with her robotic dog.  
It doesn’t look threatening at first but infront of him on the round table, amongst colouring books and crayons is a gun. It’s the thing Hoseok sees first but he doesn’t miss the knife resting on Minhyuk’s arm rest.

“You know,” Minhyuk starts off, not bothering to look at Hoseok,”I was thinking. Don’t makea moveMallow!”

Hoseok hears the maid whimper and gets a firm grasp on how far gone Minhyuk is. The only thing between Hoseok and Minhyuk is the table and matt covered in toys. Hoseok is at a loss, he’s terrified.

“You just want it all, don’t you? You took Hyunwoo, now you want my daughter?” This grabs the little girls attention and she looks at her daddy confused.

Minhyuk hugs her, nuzzling into her hair,”Don’t worry my buttercup, I won’t leave you with him.”

“Daddy,” she says as she tries to get out of the hug but Minhyuk refuses, his arm curled firmly around her.

Hoseok’s whole body is shivering in anger, his hands in tight fists but he doesn’t want to make matters worst, so he keeps quiet.

Minhyuk looks him in his eyes,”Did you tell him?”

“No,” Hoseok answers, his heart breaking at the sight of his daughter struggling against Minhyuk’s grip.

“Don’t lie!” that’s the final straw and Hyosung bursts into tears, her movements now frantic.

“Keep still,” Minhyuk snarls as he presses her forcibly into his chest,”This is for your own good.”

“Minhyuk please,” Hoseok pleads, his knees weak,” I didn’t tell him. I promise.”

“You promise. What good is your promise? You sleep with married men, you wreck their homes. Your promise is worth shirt.” He bites back,” Hyosung keep still!”

It only spurs the little girl on and she starts to scream. Her wailing filling the air as Hyunwoo’s family flee to the scene.

Hoseok hears footsteps rushing their way and he knows Minhyuk does too.

“Hush!” the brunette yells at the frantic child,”Lock the door. I only want you.”

“Minhyuk,”Hyunwoo’s deep voice resonates within the space and Hoseok watches as the brunette freeze.

He moves forward but Minhyuk quickly snatches the knife, halting Hoseok’s movements.

“Lock THE DOOR!”

It’s all the motivation he needs, spinning around frantically, he pushes Mallow outside. Hyunwoo runs toward in concern and only then Hoseok realises he’s crying, hot tears streaming down his face.

“He has a knife,” he croaks before throwing one last apologetic look before slamming the door shut.

Wincing when Hyunwoo angry fists come beating on the door.

“Calm down, calm down. I just need to talk to the harlot, came down,” Minhyuk tries his best to soothe the wailing girl.

Hoseok swallows thickly as he places the keys on the door. He can’t hear Hyosung nor her father, he can only see the way that Minhyuk looks at his daughter and feels himself come apart further.

“Minhyuk please,” he begs through the tears.

“I was thinking, you want everything so bad, everything that should be mine,” the brunette talks calmly as Hyosung screams start to simmer down,”I can’t let you have it.”

He looks Hoseok in the eye, Hyosung’s head brought to rest on shoulders. Hoseok feels it, the crazy, the fear, the insanity. Hatred bleeds out of Minhyuk, his dark eyes glowering at him.

“Kill yourself.” The brunette says calmly, tilting his head to rest his cheek against Hyosung.

Hoseok freezes, his mind having a difficult time keeping up.

“I said kill yourself,” he repeats as he brings the knife to rest on Hyosung’s back,”Unless.”

“No no no,” Hoseok mumbles as he shakes, his wobbly legs approaching the table.

Hyosung’s jumbo colouring book is wide open, her unicorn half coloured as her unnecessary large pack of roll up crayons are sprawled all over the table. The gun stands out like a flamingo in the wild. He doesn’t know much about guns, just tidbits from television. He can tell this isn’t a gun for use, probably an antique item. Hoseok quickly realises it’s most likely one of Hyunwoo’s father.

Hoseok’s logic screams that Minhyuk wouldn't but his experience says that Minhyuk would. The whole point was to cling on to Hyunwoo, Hyosung was just a means.

That means.

“I won’t tell him, Minhyuk. I won’t tell anyone,” Hoseok means it.

“You won’t because you’ll be dead. Hush Hyosung,” Minhyuk mutters, stroking the little girl’s head.

Hoseok can hear her sobs and knows there’s no way out. His trembling fingers struggles to get a grip on the gun, the cold of the metal burning against his skin.

He hears his name and looks toward the wrought iron bannister. They’ve been there for a while, watching, just catching the messy blonde hair. It’s only about time till the police arrive. He could wait it out but that wasn’t ideal. Minhyuk could go off at any moment.

Minhyuk isn’t watching him and his mind reels with ideas. There has to be something, anything. The tables in the way, he can’t just dash at him, plus the matt of toys. He wouldn’t make it, Minhyuk already has the knife in his hand.

Regret, this is the second time Hoseok feels its so gravely. If anything happens to Hyosung, he couldn’t live with himself.

“Last words?” Minhyuk smiles at him.

“Let me say bye to Hyosung,” Hoseok stutters, the gun trembling in his hands.

“So you can shoot me with the gun that supposed to kill you. I don’t think so,”

“I won’t,” Hoseok begs,”I’ll leave the gun here, at the door.”

Minhyuk considers,”Fine.”

Hoseok blinks his tears away, stumbling backwards and throwing the gun at the door before approaching the brunette.

Minhyuk hesitates but finally releases Hyosung but barely a few inches, her braid twisted in his grip. The little girl tries to runs but he’s quick to tug her back.

Hoseok sees it clearly know, Hyosung was just a tool. All this time, Minhyuk needed to bridge the gap. Anything, he was willing to do anything to keep Hyunwoo near.

That makes Hoseok all the more desperate, there was nothing he could do. No words, no promises would effect Minhyuk.

Hoseok falls to his knees, his arms coming to embrace the crying girl. She’s mumbling something but he can’t decipher it amongst the sobbing. They’re so close, Hoseok wants to strangle the bastard to death but then there’s the knife pointed at his daughter. So he sobs, clutching on to her for dear life, whispering empty promises, telling her everything is going to be okay.

“You thought I would just let you take it,” Minhyuk leans down to him, one hand on the knife and the other twisted in the braid, “If I can’t have it, you can’t either.

Hoseok can only glare at him. It was clear the brunette had no care for his daughter, begging wouldn’t do him any good.

“I always wanted to see you cry. Cry a river and die,”Minhyuk snarls, eye wide with anger.

Hoseok takes it as an opening, his hands move, from either side of Hyosung, swiftly grabbing the knife, the blade slicing into him. Minhyuk might be weaker, narrower but his high of his insanity but Hoseok is running off adrenaline. He shoots up, taking the knife and Minhyuk with him. His other more dependant hand goes for Minhyuk wrists. The crazy brunette growls, pulling and pushing to free the knife, Hyosung screaming as she gets shoved between the two of them.

As long as the knife wasn’t near Hyosung, Hoseok was relieved but that wouldn’t last long if he lost his fingers. Minhyuk has an iron grip on the knife but Hoseok’s painted nails dig into the flesh and the grip weakens. Finally, Minhyuk releases Hyosung’s braid in favour of the struggle. Just what Hoseok was hoping for.

“Move, run Hyosung!” He screams.

There’s banging on the door, they must have must have seen the struggle.

The little girls cries, her legs weak and Hoseok forcibly nudges her with his foot,”Run.”

This only serves to drive Minhyuk further. Hoseok’s blood runs coats his palm, a few droplets landing on Hyosung. He tries not to grip too tightly, relying on his other hand to force Minhyuk’s hand back. In honesty, he isn't trying to remove it but just keep it at a safe distance till he can ensure Hyosung’s safety.

Hyosung, frantic with tears stumbles to get to her feet but eventually flees to seek safety underneath the table.

It’s the moment Hoseok’s been waiting for. He abruptly lets go of the knife as he crouches down and tackles Minhyuk, ramming him into the bannister before grabbing his legs and flipping him off. He’s so high off the rush, he can’t hear anything, not Hyosung, not Minhyuk, not even the pounding on the door. He just watches as Minhyuk’s flailing body gets further and further, his eyes wide and Hoseok can see a multitude of emotions. None that he cares for.

His legs give up and he comes crashing down, his blank eyes wide as he watches the balcony doors fly open. Still, everything is mute, Hyosung is saying something but he can’t hear anything. He doesn’t need to, he’s accustomed to her so he knows by the way her lips move that she’s saying ‘ma’ over and over again. She reaches for him and he smiles, his eyes now bright but suddenly there’s a pair of hands that come to pick her up, away from.

He panics, ”No, no.”

_Not again_.  
  
Thankfully Hyunwoo comes into sight, pulling Hoseok into his chest. He too is speaking but Hoseok can’t hear him. His eye dart around, he needs to find Hyosung to keep her safe. To protect her from Minhyuk. There’s a flurry of movement but he can’t see her. He becomes a bit frantic but his body is heavy and Hyunwoo holds him back. Finally, amongst the mess, Soyou steps closer, Hyosung clinging to her aunt for dear life. Hoseok can finally breathe, a weak smile forming on his lips, his hands clutching to Hyunwoo.

“Don’t take it out,” He hears softly, he thinks it’s Soyou.

Slowly, their voices start to fade in.

First is Hyunwoo,” It’s okay baby, the ambulance is on the way.”

Then its Hyosung calling out to him followed by Hyunwoo’s mother crying.

Only then does his body go rigid in pain. The area of shoulder burns with such intensity, he groans. Hyunwoo presses kisses into his wet cheek as Hoseok turns to look at the source of the pain. Hyunwoo’s face is in the way but Hoseok’s voice is incapable of dealing with the pain. The more he turns his head the more intense it gets and he only manages to see the black of the knife handle hiding behind Hyunwoo’s head.

_Sonuvabitch!_

Hoseok does the only thing he can, he collapses into his husband’s arms. Hands clutching onto Hyunwoo’s shirt desperately till his fingers go numb and eventually everything goes black.

-

  
July 9 2030

 

Man wasn't made to last forever, so it isn't a surprise that the things they make don't either. Not all of the world has aged well. Certain parts had been rightfully claimed by mother nature, leaving the human population little or no choice.

The rich, however, seem to never lack. Hoseok can't help but feel that way when he watches the news. Disaster after disaster, each year the same story.

Hence, while vacationing at their holiday home at Daecheongdo, Hyunwoo has set a ban on any media device.

They spend their morning in bed, ears twitching as they hear their daughter and niece busy themselves in the kitchen. Then there's silence and Hoseok convinces his husband to get out of bed.

They shower together, hoseok doing more clinging than cleaning. When they get out, he opens the sun roof, a blinding light pouring in. He sprawls himself on the bed as Hyunwoo follows.  
Wet limbs come to entangle as they bask in the sun.

This weather was rare at home, days just became dull and stayed that way.  
  
Hoseok's skin is deathly against the natural tan of Hyunwoo's. He curls up like a cat, rubbing his cheek against the sheets. Smiling when he feels Hyunwoo pressing kisses against his hip and up his side.

"On your knees," he whispers into the warm skin.

Hoseok unfurls himself, most eager to oblige his husband.

He turns to Hyunwoo, the other now watching him with lustful eyes, his member already hardening. The sight turns him on. It's like his husband hasn't changed since their high school day. Hyunwoo is broad and beefy, his hips taunt and eyes dark and observant. Hoseok is just as attracted to him now as he was when they were teenagers.

He rolls over and props himself on his knees. Hyunwoo's warm hands start at the base of his spine, applying pressure ever so slightly as he pushes Hoseok down. Pushing till Hoseok's chest flat on the bed, his ass raised up in the air.

he bites his lip in excitement, it's been a while since they did things so openly. Even with their door being locked, Hoseok was still paranoid about Hyosung and whatever happened, happened under the covers.

This is more thrilling, the sun on his skin as Hyunwoo watches with avid interest. Hoseok feels like his on display, he needs to make a good impression. He spreads his legs wider, displaying himself further. His body shivering in excitement as Hyunwoo's gaze graze over him.

A firm hand is roughly placed on his cheek, Hyunwoo groping the flesh painfully before rubbing. He removes it only to deliver a few shallow slap, loving the way Hoseok's ass cheeks turn a bright red.

Hoseok mewls in return, rubbing his nipples against the sheets as he sways back and forth.

Hyunwoo's warm tongue comes to lick at his entrance, just the tip and Hoseok buries his face in the bedding. It's been too long. His husband eats him out, Hoseok backing up against Hyunwoo tongue, growing more and more desperate as the seconds pass.

He's a moaning mess when Hyunwoo decides to fill him up with his fingers. Each digit making Hoseok rock back and forth till his begging for his husband to fuck him.

Hyunwoo does so in time, after each of finger has opened him up thoroughly. He doesn't need the happy ending to come too soon. No, they haven't done this in a while, he wants to fuck Hoseok thoroughly.

Eventually, Hyunwoo's cock twitches with every plea that leaves Hoseok's mouth and he can't hold himself back. He takes a firm hold of Hoseok's hips before letting himself in completely.

Hoseok hopes to god Hyosung doesn't return because he can't hear himself think over his own screams. The stretch, the burn is excruciating. Hyunwoo's thickness filling him till he can't handle any more.

Hyunwoo doesn't need to build momentum, he starts off with hitting Hoseok's spot dead on. Removing himself almost entirely before going back in. It's rough and Hoseok struggles to maintain his position. It's not long till he's just being fucked by his husband, Hyunwoo hands dug into his hips as pulls Hoseok closer to meet each thrust.

The pleasure is too intense, Hoseok doesn't understand what nonsense is leaving his mouth.

His whole existence ascends when he climaxes, each fibre of his body fizzling out in ecstasy. His scream resounding in the space and Hoseok's knees give in, Hyunwoo's pressure pushing him to the bed.

He lies in bliss against the sheets, Hyunwoo still pounding into him. It's only time till Hyunwoo comes deep within him and Hoseok groans when he feels the warm liquid fill him up. There was a lot of cum, Hoseok can tell by the way it spills out when Hyunwoo rocks into him shallowly.

The larger males maintain his composure, eager to love his husband further.

Hoseok smiles lazily as Hyunwoo presses kisses behind his neck to his shoulder. His lips linger and Hoseok knows why. It wouldn't be the first time Hyunwoo smothered the scar with kisses of affection. Each time it feels like an apology.

"Baby," he says, trying to distract his husband from the scar,"Hold me."

Hyunwoo slides to his side, pulling Hoseok's lifeless body against him. The blonde giggles as he manages enough energy to turn on his side and face his husband.

Hyunwoo eyes dull eyes are filled with emotions. Hoseok nuzzles into his firm chest, a blinding smile painted on his face. All these years and Hyunwoo can still have him blushing like a fool with just a look.

Taunt arms wrap around his smaller frames and Hoseok feels himself plastered to his husband's body. The warmth of the sun and Hyunwoo prove too much to endure and he falls asleep listening to the beat of his husband's heart.


	7. explanation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> explanation time.

 

Lets go

 

If you want a true idea of Hyunwoo and Hoseok being inlove in their younger days, you can refer to nudity's 'can you really call this a crime."

A lot of showho feels started with that fic and is referenced a lot in my work. That being said,i changed a few things. The confession happens a day or two after Hyunwoo's birthday and it wasn't Hyunwoo that cried, it was Hoseok.

Basically they went off to college knowing that they were madly inlove and kind of set in stone. Until Hoseok enjoys college life and Hyunwoo seems to stay the same. Hence Hoseok gets scared that he's selling himself and Hyunwoo short because he's turning into this person that his bestfriend/lover might not like. He's dramatic and runs off to japan. Obviously leaving Hyunwoo broken.

They both try to go on with life and succeed till Hoseok finds it ridiculous to be hung up on a guy he left almost ten years ago. He goes back with the intention of curing his curiosity and well he does by texting Hyunwoo at the three in the morning and May 25 happens.

Then things turn spiritual, which i didn't mention. Basically they share a bond that can never be forgotten (stuff like that happens in life. you don't have a say). Doesn't make it right but life happens.

 

So that's their backstory.

 

\--------

Minhyuk and Hoseok both come from broken homes. Hyunwoo represents the ideal, Minhyuk in love with the ideal and Hoseok terrified by it. The concept of having this almost perfect home is foreign to both of them. Hoseok not understanding how to handle it and Minhyuk too invested in maintaining it. Hence, it's easy for Hyunwoo marry and live with Minhyuk with no apparent deeper connection. Their marriage is based of a give and take, Hyunwoo never really understands what he's giving but Minhyuk is pleased with it. So life goes on and he gets accustomed.

 

Until Hoseok returns and reminds what's it like to really care for someone and not someone's needs.

-

june 2 2019 - Minhyuk being a nurse, drugs Hyunwoo. He then uses some equipment and i didn't mention what he did with it. it's called electroejaculation.(find it on wiki) they use this machine, a metal rod kind of thing and insert it in the male's ass. Then releases a surge of electricity which makes the patient ejaculate. Commonly used on corpses for parent's who lost their only son and want to continue their family. It's also used in kink play. 

 

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Minhyuk's character was mildy inspired by Yuno Gasai from Mirai Nikki,(Slightly)

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Alternative chapter-Does Minhyuk die?

 

Idk, you chose.  I'll give you options though

 

1 he dies from the fall

2 Hoseok kills him in the hospital with a pillow or some medical equipment

3 he gets checked into an asylum and Hyunwoo refuses to meet him or let Hyosung meet him. Years later, Hyosung stumbles on some photos and a few memories. She gets Minhyuk out of the aslyum and tries to take care of him, he is her biological parent. Minhyuk of course tries turning Hyosung against Hoseok and Hyunwoo. Later on they discover  he planned on killing Hyosung to get revenge. Just a rough idea.

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I don't know why but i feel like Louis Armstrong's ' what a wonderful world' is the perfect background music for a slow mo slaughter scene. 

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I have nothing against Minhyuk.(even though i do feel he keeps slipping himself between showho) he just really suited this character.

It's important to note that both Hoseok and Minhyuk have the same psychopathic potential. Hoseok is just anchored by his genuine feelings for Hyunwoo.

 

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The end, comments would be appreciated. Thanks for reading. I had a lot of fun writing this. will edit soon. Peace

**Author's Note:**

> Explanation will be chapter five, Not sure how clear my intentions did or did not come across. It's kinda dark but was fun. Unedited for now, will do it some other time. So apologies for the errors.  
> Thank you for read.
> 
> On a lighter note how amusing is this MX drama recently. Lee/shin Hoseok, then Changkyun and luda. I swear these akp articles get more likes than when Mx actually does stuff like choreo.


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